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LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  •  SAN  DIKGO 

by 

FRIENDS  OF  THE  LIBRARY 


'      '  . .    *>    i   s 


L/BRARY  '^ 

UNIVERSITY  OP      j 

SAN  D/EGO        I 

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A  SERIES  OF  LETTERS 


FR'^M 


LONDON. 


A  SERIES  OF  LETTERS 


LONDON 


DURING  THE  YEARS  1856,  '57,  '58,  '59,  AND  'GO. 


GEORGE    MIFFLIN   DALLAS, 

TIIEK     MINISTER    OF    THE    UNITED    STATES    AT    THE    BRITISH     COURT. 


"Point  de  fiel  pormet  beauconp  de  franchiae." — GuizoT,  Mem. 


EDITED    BY    HIS    DAUGHTER    JULIA. 


TWO   VOLUMES   IN   ONE. 


rnii-ADELPHiA: 
J.    B.    LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 

1869. 


Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1869,  by 

J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT    &    CO.. 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United  States  for  the  Eastern 
District  of  Pennsylvania. 


PREFACE. 


There  were  many  incidents  connected  with  the  post 
of  American  Minister  in  London,  from  1856  to  1861, 
which  may  be  usefully,  and  perhaps  not  disagreeably, 
recalled  from  the  oblivion  into  which  they  must  other- 
wise hasten.  To  do  this,  no  departure  from  the  reticence 
lastingly  exacted  by  diplomatic  function  is  necessary. 
A  book,  in  which  the  scenes  and  conversations  of  Paris 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  Revolution  of  1848  are  portrayed 
by  a  British  diplomat  and  peer,  was  doubtfully  received, 
because  this  reserve  was  in  a  measure  relaxed.  The 
example  should  be  followed  with  watchful  self-restraint. 

As  a  general  rule,  Despatches  addressed  by  a  public 
agent  to  his  government,  on  the  business  of  that  govern- 
ment, pass  out  of  his  control  and  merge  into  the  mass  of 
executive  archives,  to  be  thenceforward  reached  under  a 
responsible  authorization  only.  Exceptions  nevertheless 
will  occur  to  every  mind : — as  when  mooted  topics, 
ceasing  to  agitate,  have  subsided  into  History ;  or  when 
they  involve  no  question  of  State  policy  and  are  purely 
personal. 

The  series  of  letters  addressed  to  Mr.  William  L. 
Marcy  and  Mr.  Lewis  Cass — although  those  gentlemen 
were  Secretaries  of  State,  in  succession — partook,  how- 
ever, neither  in  design  nor  fact,  of  official  character. 
They  were  essentially  private  letters : — uniformly  so 
termed,  regarded,  and  treated.  Very  probably,  an  ex- 
aggerated  estimate   of  their  merit  as   such,   has   been 

(V) 


vi  PREFACE. 

caused  by  the  complimentary  language  with  which  their 
continuance  was  constantly  urged. 

The  purpose  of  these  volumes  will  be  seen  with  more 
distinctness  than  it  can  be  described.  Their  bearings 
are  various.  As  constituting,  in  the  aggregate,  a  run- 
ning commentary  upon  events  during  iive  years,  they 
take  the  undisguised  aspect  of  a  familiar  journal.  While 
the  personal  opinions  of  the  author  upon  every  subject 
springing  into  notice  are  perhaps  decidedly  perceptible, 
yet  nothing  savoring  of  dissertation,  treatise,  or  argu- 
ment, political  or  social,  was  indulged,  save  in  one  or 
two  instances.  Although  touching,  occasionally  and 
obscurely,  on  matters  behind  the  screen  of  diplomacy, 
the  letters  to  the  Secretaries  of  State  were  wholly  apart 
from  the  oificial  correspondence  of  the  envo}^  maintained 
in  at  least  three  hundred  and  thirty  numbered  despatches. 
They  were  meant  to  be  by-the-by: — to  convey  friendly 
and  informal  hints :  to  help  the  conclusions  of  public 
functionaries  by  widening  the  sphere  of  facts  and  obser- 
vations: and  to  relieve  dry  and  onerous  labors  with  short 
and  sketchy  allusions.  How  far  this  design  succeeded,  it 
is  impossible  to  judge  better  than  by  the  encouragement 
to  persevere  often  and  warmly  expressed. 

There  is  one  light  in  which  this  publication  particu- 
larly recommends  itself  to  the  writer: — that  is,  as  an 
authentic  report  to  his  fellow-citizens  (altogether 
divested  of  the  multitudinous  communications  on  file  in 
the  Department  of  State)  indicating,  with  sufficient  dis- 
tinctness, his  whole  course  of  action,  sentiment,  and 
thought,  from  week  to  week,  and  year  after  year,  while 
filling  the  United  States  mission  to  the  British  Court. 

G.  M.  D. 


LIST   OF   LETTERS,  VOL.  L 


Aberdeen,  Lord,  48. 

Bache,  Mrs.,  195. 

Bates,  Mr.,  228. 

Beechey,  Admiral,  28. 

Binney,  Rev.  Dr.,  97. 

Brown,  Mr.  W.,  64. 

Bulwer,  Sir  H.,  49. 

Campbell,  Lord,  175. 

Cass,  General,  148,  153,  155,  156, 
_l£9,  161,  163,  167,  168,  170,  173, 
177,  178,  180,  182,  186,  188,  190, 
193,  194,  197,  199,  201,  206,  207, 
210,  212,  215,  217,  220,  221,  223, 
226,  232,  234,  235,  236,  240,  242, 
243,  246,  247,  249,  251,  255,  258, 
259,  260,  262. 

Childs,  Mr.,  103. 

Clarendon,  Lord,  135,  142,  143,  154, 
186,  202. 

Cust,  Sir  Edward,  54. 

Dixon,  Mr.  H.,  146. 

Dixon,  Mr.,  45. 

Donoughmore,  Lord,  78. 

Ducacbet,  Dr.,  147. 

Edge,  Mrs.,  225. 

Edwards,  Mr.,  102. 

Ellesmere,  Lord,  88,  95. 

Evans,  Mr.  Jobn,  61. 

Everett,  Mr.,  100,  192. 

Gales,  Mrs.,  179. 

Gilpin,  Mr.,  77,  93,  136,  229. 

Hammond,  Mr.,  260. 

Hutchinson,  Mr.,  39,  128,  145,  172. 

Jones,  G.  W.,  75. 

Jones,  Judge  Joel,  33,  67. 

Kane,  Judge,  41,  104,  176. 


Kennedy,  Mr.,  158. 

King,  Judge,  130. 

Kneass,  Mr.,  154. 

Lee,  Col.,  104. 

Marcoleta,  Mons.,  113. 

Marcy,  Mr.,  9,  10,  11,13,  15,17,21, 
25,  30,  34,  38,  45,  48,  50,  51,  55, 
57,  58,  60,  62,  64,  65,  66,  69,  71, 
76,  80,  82,  83,  85,  89,  90,  92,  94, 
95,  96,  98,  100,  105,  107,  110,  111, 
112,  114,  117,  120,  121,  124,  125. 
131,  132,  134,  139,  141. 

Markoe,  Mr.,  151,  165,  219.  245. 

Mason,  Mr.  J.  M.,  185,  216,  239. 

Mason,  Mr.  J.  Y.,  40,  43,  115. 

Middleton,  Mr.,  88. 

Miles,  Mr.,  108. 

Morgan,  Lady,  163. 

Morris,  3Ir.  M.,  53. 

Murray,  Col.,  160,  257. 

McCulloch,  Mr.  J.  R.,  254. 

O'Sullivan,  Mr.,  129. 

Ouscly,  Sir  W.  G.,  215. 

Overstone,  Lord,  253. 

Oxford,  Bishop  of,  42. 

Page,  Col.,  73. 

Perezel,  Col.,  47. 

Pierce,  General,  139. 

Saward,  Mr.,  192. 

Shaw,  Dr.,  174. 

Shelburne,  Lord,  111. 

Squier,  Mr.  E.  G.,  43. 

Thayer,  Mr.,  176. 

Thomson,  Mr.  Pishey,  164. 

Woodward,  Judge,  212. 

Wolff,  Mr.,  144. 

(  vii  ) 


LIST   OF   LETTERS,  VOL.  IL 


Alexander,  Prof.,  98. 

Bache,  Mrs.,  97. 

Bache,  Prof.,  153. 

Cass,  General,  3,  5,  6,  8,  11,  12,  14, 
15,  17,  18,  20,  22,  24,  25,  26,  28, 
30,  32,  34,  35,  37,  38,  41,  43,  45, 
47,  48,  50,  51,  52,  55,  56,  58,  61, 
62,  64,  70,  72,  74,  75,  81,  83,  87, 
88,  89,  92,  93,  95,  98,  100, 103, 105, 
106,  109,  110,  112,  116,  120,  126, 
128,  130,  132,  134,  136,  140,  142, 
144,  148,  152,  154,  156,  158,  160, 
163,  167,  169,  171,  172,  174,  177, 
179,  181,  184,  185,  186,  188,  189, 

■  191,  192,  193,  195,  196,  198,  201, 
203,  204,  205,  206,  207,  210,  211, 
213,  214,  215,  217,  219,  220. 

Coryell,  Mr.,  107. 

Denison,  Speaker,  67. 

Dickens,  Mr.  A.,  139. 

Diller,  Mr.,  124. 

Dixon,  Mr.,  223. 

Everett,  Mr.,  138,  178. 

Fair,  3Ir.,  63. 

Gilpin,  Mr.,  60,  150. 

Hardinge,  Lady,  200. 


Henriere,  M.  de  la,  125. 
Ingersoll,  Mr.  C.  J.,  208. 
Jones,  Senator  G.  W.,  149. 
Knott,  Mr.,  83,  85,  102. 
Lewis,  Sir  G.  C,  183. 
Lindsay,  Mr.,  10. 
Lytton,  Sir  E.  B.,  100. 
Malmesbury,  Lord,  33. 
Markoe,  Mr.,  54,  79,  127,  194,  222, 

223. 
Milnes,  Monokton,  M.P.,  141. 
Murray,  Col.,  86.  147. 
McHenry,  Mr.,  118. 
Napier,  Lord,  162. 
Owen,  Prof.,  102. 
Pickens,  Mr.,  114,  175. 
Pierce,  Gen.,  77. 
Eeed,  Mr.,  166. 
Saward,  Mr.,  31,  33. 
Schoolcraft,  Mrs.,  168. 
Seward,  Mr.,  225. 
Sickles,  Mr.,  86. 
Stafford,  Lady,  119. 
Toucey,  Mr.,  66. 
Tucker,  Mr.,  113. 
Winthrop,  Mr.,  91. 


(  viii  ) 


C^tr-Zt,.^^ 


LETTERS  FROM  LONDON. 


No.  l.-TO  ME.  MAEOY. 

New  York,  February  29,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  26th  was  received 
about  tlie  same  time  that  I  suppose  you  got  mine. 

I  ought  to  have  made  this  acknowledgment  at  once,  but 
it  was  lost  sight  of  in  the  distractions  of  departure.  We 
quit  here  on  board  the  Atlantic,  punctually  at  12  to- 
morrow. 

I  must  confess  that  when  reading  the  correspondence 
at  the  department,  I  was  slightly  surprised  to  notice  with 
what  little  account  the  conversational  suggestion  as  to  an 
arbitration  had  been  regarded.  JSTo  doubt  it  was  so  made 
as  to  leave  no  impression  that  it  was  meant  as  a  serious 
proposal;  our  minister  would  otherwise  have  formally 
submitted  it  for  decision.  Lord  Clarendon  was  bound  to 
give  it  directness  and  distinctness,  or  to  abstain  afterwards 
from  saying  that  the  offer  had  been  made  at  all. 

I  cannot  say  whether  it  would  be  wholly  safe  to  refer 
the  construction  of  the  Treaty  to  any  "  State  or  Power" 
in  Europe;  but  if  it  be  a  case  for  reference,  and  it  can  be 
esteemed  so  only  because  of  the  moral  weight  of  an  offer 
of  that  sort,  then  I  think  we  should  be  safer  in  relying 
upon  the  judgment  and  independence  of  an  individual  of 
recognized  political  ability,  experience,  and  integrity. 
There  are  such  men  even  in  these  modern  times.  Recol- 
lecting bis  Life  of  Washington,  his  Portrait  at  the  Patent 
Oflice,  and  his  general  estimate  of  our  government,  I 
should  feel  no  apprehension  that  his  British  attachments 
would  blind  the  sagacity  or  warp  the  honesty  of  Mr. 
Guizot.     I  put  him  as  an  instance  only;  there  are  others. 

My  numbered  despatches  will  of  course  be  always  offi- 
voL.  I.— 2  ( 9 ) 


10  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

cial;  and  as  to  other  communications,  I  shall  leave  them 
to  be  classed  as  public  or  private,  as  your  good  discretion 
may  determine. 

I  am  very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 

G.  M.  Dallas. 


No.  2 -TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  March  28,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  arrival  here  of  the  America,  after  a 
detention  of  several  days  beyond  her  proper  time,  and  the 
sight  of  boundless  fields  of  ice,  through  which,  by  filling 
and  backing,  she  made  her  way  with  difficulty,  have 
thrown  a  pall  over  the  last  hopes  for  the  Pacific.  This 
unfortunate  ship  excited  so  much  interest  that  I  ventured 
to  write  a  private  note  to  Lord  Palmerston  about  her. 
The  admirals  of  the  Admiralty  had  all  given  her  up,  and 
discountenanced  the  idea  of  sending  a  government  steamer 
in  search ;  and  being  told  that  nothing  would  avail  unless 
the  Premier  could  be  induced  to  act,  I,  very  impudently, 
invoked  his  co-operation  in  a  purpose  of  general  human- 
ity, and  sent  my  billet  by  an  American  merchant,  to  ex- 
plain the  plan  of  exploration.  My  messenger  returned 
perfectly  enchanted  with  the  prompt  and  decisive  manner 
in  which  my  note  had  been  received  and  acted  upon. 
Lord  P.  wrote  notes  to  the  admirals,  and  an  order  imme- 
diately issued  to  the  commanders  of  iioo  steamers,  Tar- 
tarus and  Despatch,  to  proceed  in  search  forthwith,  and 
according  to  the  programme  matured.  So  much  for  a 
first  step  in  diplomatic  audacity. 

Our  travelUng  military  commissioners,  Messrs.  Dela- 
field,  Mordecai,  and  McClellan,  took  pot-luck  with  me 
yesterday,  in  the  house  to  which  1  have  just  removed  my 
family  and  the  legation.  They  are  not  talkative  men ; 
but  I  thought  I  could  discern  that  they  are  going  home 
full  freighted  with  a  large  mass  of  useful  information. 

If  ever  you  issue  another  decree  for  reform  in  the 
diplomatic  service,  pray  devise  some  mode  by  which  a 
minister  may  be  relieved  from  the  dekige  and  distraction 
of  visitors.     If  the  department  would  assume  the  respon- 


TO   MR.  MARCY.  11 

sibility,  and  not  quarrel  with  the  consequences,  he  would 
be  able  to  do  twice  the  usual  amount  of  business  by 
closing  his  doors  three  days  in  the  week. 

I  am  drawn  to  my  last  ten  minutes  before  the  Bag  is 
closed. 

Truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  3.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  March  30,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Times  of  this  morning  announces 
that  orders  have  been  issued  to  the  officers  at  the  outposts 
and  the  Tower  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  firing 
salutes  on  receiving  to-day  from  the  department  news  of 
peace  being  made  :  and  one  of  the  correspondents  says 
that  Lord  Clarendon  will  probably  be  in  his  seat  in  the 
House  of  Lords  on  next  Tuesday,  and  may  then  commu- 
nicate the  incidents  of  the  conferences  at  Paris. 

I  received  yesterday  your  "■confidential  and  unofficial" 
letter  of  the  14th  instant.  The  very  day  before  it  reached 
me  I  had  a  visit  from  Sir  Henry  Bulwer,  who,  I  could 
not  help  thinking,  came  to  discharge  himself  of  certain 
reflections  on  the  treaty,  of  which  he  was  one  of  two 
fathers.  He  very  soon  entered  upon  that  subject,  first, 
however,  with  a  preface  that  he  was  in  no  manner  con- 
nected with  the  government,  and  that  our  conversation 
was,  of  course,  "  as  between  gentlemen."  He  had  read 
Mr.  Clayton's  speech,  and  really  there  was  very  little  dif- 
ference between  their  impressions.  I  told  him  that  what- 
ever might  be  the  views  of  others,  the  fathers  of  the 
bantling  were  bound  to  unite  in  defending  it  against  mu- 
tilation, if  not  destruction,  by  opposite  constructions.  He 
remarked  how  difiicult  it  was,  in  framing  such  an  instru- 
ment, to  choose  language  which  would  admit  of  a  single 
construction  only;  that  Mr.  Clayton  and  he  had  conceived 
themselves  particularly  safe  in  employing  the  words  of 
Mr.  Abbot  Lawrence  in  his  communication  to  Lord  Pal- 
merston,  accepted  and  affirmed  by  Lord  Palmerston's 
answer.  He  went  on  to  say  that  so  far  as  respected  the 
Bay  Islands,  the  question  appeared  to  him  primarily  to 


12  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

be,  whether  at  the  time  of  ratifying  the  treaty,  they  were 
dependencies  of  the  Belize ;  and  as  to  that,  he  observed, 
with  what  appeared  to  me  sgme  significance,  their  subse- 
quent formal  colonization  rather  indicated  the  sense  of 
the  British  government  that  they  were  not.  The  pro- 
tectorate was  really  recognized  by  the  treaty,  and  only  re- 
stricted in  its  possible  modes  of  exercise;  fortification  and 
dominion  were  excluded.  I  interrupted  him  by  asking 
how  then  was  the  protectorate  to  be  exercised  ?  He  paused 
an  instant;  thought  there  were  modes  of  exercising  it  not 
prohibited  by  the  treaty;  but  added  that  he  did  not  wish 
to  argue  the  matter,  as  argument  was  too  apt  to  make 
those  engaged  in  it  obstinate  in  their  respective  views. 
The  Protectorate  was  a  point  of  honor.  Yes,  said  I,  a 
most  attenuated  point:  you  reduced  it  to  a  semblance  or 
a  shadow,  a  thing  under  which,  without  violating  the  clear 
terms,  intention,  and  scope  of  the  treaty,  you  could  do 
nothing  effective,  and  then  you  tell  us  that  you  hold  to  it 
as  a  point  of  honor!  But  it  is  quite  as  possible  to  disembar- 
rass yourselves  of  this  fanciful  point  of  honor  as  of  any- 
thing else.  A  trustee  must  act  with  honor  as  long  as  he 
holds  the  trust ;  but  he  can  with  perfect  honor  withdraw 
from  and  transfer  the  trust  to  another;  and  how  cheaply 
and  under  how  many  guarantees  this  could  be  done  with 
the  Mosquito  savages ! 

Sir  Henry  recurred  to  the  Belize,  and  seemed  to  regard 
the  matters  of  which  we  complained  in  that  quarter  as 
topics  between  England  and  the  adjacent  States,  Mexico 
or  Guatemala,  rather  than  with  us.  Such  an  idea,  I  said, 
seemed  to  me  to  render  the  treaty  with  the  United  States, 
so  far  as  the  Belize  was  concerned,  quite  nugatory;  it  left 
England  at  liberty  to  extend  her  progress  as  far  as  she 
liked,  without  authorizing  an  interference  of  any  sort  by 
the  United  States.         , 

This  conversation,  which  I  consider  private,  was  pro- 
tracted for  some  time.  I  have  endeavored  to  sketch  it 
faithfully,  as  you  may  deem  it  of  moment  to  know  the 
general  theories  of  Sir  Henry  Bulwer  respecting  the  con- 
flict over  his  own  treaty.  He  left  me  under  very  agreea- 
ble impressions  of  his  intelligence,  and  more  than  half 
inclined  to  think  that  he  rather  leans  to  our  interpretation 
than  to  the  adverse  one.  You  are  much  better  acquainted, 
probably,  with  Sir  Henry  than  I  am,  and  can  appreciate 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  13 

what  he  says  more  correctly.     His  reputation  here  is  that 
of  a  man  of  ability,  but  prone  to  indirection. 

Oar  officers  were  repulsed  by  Marshal  Vaillant  in  Paris 
in  a  manner  alike  singular  and  rude.  If  it  had  not  been 
ascertained  by  them  to  be  the  effect  of  personal  eccen- 
tricity and  brusquerie,  we  might  draw  from  it  a  warning. 
They  wanted  to  visit  certain  military  establishments. 
"  j^o  !  you  can't  be  permitted ;  we  don't  like  you  enough." 
They  wanted  some  drawings,  which  they  specified  :  "  lS<o  ! 
we  have  a  quarrel  with  you;  we  are  going  to  fight  you; 
good-by,  till  we  meet  to  exchange  cannon-balls:"  and 
so  they  were  dismissed.  We  must  not  be  Caught  na])ping, 
though  I  can  as  yet  discern  no  proof  of  a  belligerent  plan. 
Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


ITo.  4.-T0  MR.  MAEOY. 

London,  April  4,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — In  a  letter  received  from  the  bankers, 
after  giving  me  a  memorandum  of  the  credit  opened  in 
my  favor  by  the  government  on  account  of  salary,  they 
go  on  to  say,  "  we  beg  to  add  that  we  have  received  no 
advice  respecting  the  allowance  for  contingent  expenses." 
This,  I  presume,  is  the  result  of  a  casual  oversight;  but 
as  it  precludes  mj"  checking  on  them  for  contingent  ex- 
penses, and  will  embarrass  the  despatch  agent  and  the 
messenger  of  the  legation,  pray  have  it  put  right  as  early 
as  possible. 

By  a  letter  from  the  Foreign  Office  of  April  1,  I  was 
apprised  that  the  Queen,  who  returned  to  town  the  day 
before,  would  grant  me  an  audience  at  Buckingham  Pal- 
ace, on  Friday,  the  4th,  at  1  o'clock,  to  deliver  my  cre- 
dentials. Her  Majesty  has  been  entertaining  for  the  last 
two  weeks,  at  Windsor,  the  King  of  the  Belgians. 

Yesterday,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  Mr.  Cobden 
asked  Lord  Palmerston  whether  he  had  yet  fultilled  the 
promise  of  producing  the  correspondence  between  this 
country  and  ours.  The  reply  was  that  the  correspondence 
was  still  in  the  Foreign  Office,  which  had  recently  been 
severely  pressed,  but  that  he  expected  to  lay  it  on  the 


14  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

table  in  two  or  three  days.  Our  own  pamphlets,  trans- 
mitted by  you,  have  been  in  some  demand,  and  have  en- 
lightened not  a  few. 

Every  day  gives  birth  to  some  fresh  conjecture  as  to  the 
terms  of  the  Treaty  of  Peace.  Lord  Clarendon  is  either 
extremely  cautious,  or  dissatisfied  with  what  he  has  been 
obliged  to  sign ; — he  will  neither  come  home,  as  was  an- 
ticipated, and  explain  a  little  in  the  House  of  Lords,  nor 
will  he  open  his  mouth  at  a  dinner  in  Paris  to  support 
Walewski's  praise  of  the  Treaty,  although  that  praise  was 
pronounced  with  unusual  solemnity.  The  Conservatives, 
and  opposition  generally,  are  ready  to  pounce  upon  the 
instrument  as  soon  as  it  appears. 

*  *  *  I  have  just  returned  from  Buckingham  Pal- 
ace, having  delivered  to  the  Queen  my  credential.  Her 
Majesty  asked  about  the  health  of  the  President,  about 
my  former  visits  to  this  country,  and  so  on.  She  is  not 
handsome,  but  her  expression  of  face  and  her  manner  are 
engaging,  and  very  soon  put  her  visitors  at  ease.  I  was 
also  presented  to  Prince  Albert,  who  stood  by  the  Queen 
on  her  left.  While  in  the  Picture  Gallery,  I  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Lord  Lansdowne,  Sir  George  Grey,  Eatl 
of  Ilarrowby,  Count  Coloredo  (the  Austrian  Minister,  re- 
called to  be  sent  to  Rome),  Mr.  Vernon  Smith,  of  the  Cabi- 
net, and  many  others,  who,  I  am  happy  to  tell  you,  were 
in  no  wise  repelled  from  the  American  Minister  by  his 
plain  suit  of  black,  but,  on  the  contrary,  made  his  time, 
while  waiting  her  Majesty's  readiness,  pass  very  pleas- 
antly. My  coat,  which  1  am  bold  to  say  was  as  well 
made  and  of  as  good  cloth  as  any  in  the  Palace  (except 
perhaps  Prince  Albert's!),  came  from  the  shop  of  a  tailor 
in  Philadelphia,  Sixth  above  Arch,  of  the  name  of  Kelly ! 
The  truth  appears  to  be  that  our  common  sense  is  gradu- 
ally getting  the  better  of  traditional  fooleries,  in  honest 

reality,  greatly  improving  social  intercourse.     Sir  , 

a  son  of  the  minister  we  had.  in  the  United  States,  and 
who  seems  quite  attached  to  our  country,  confessed, 
though  himself  an  assistant  of  Sir  Edward  Cust,  the 
Master  of  Ceremonies,  that  these  idle  points  of  court  eti- 
quette were  gradually  wearing  out. 

I  have  neither  had  matter  nor  time  for  a  formal  despatch, 
and  must  beg  you  to  be  content  with  this  unceremonious 
letter. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  15 


No.  5.-T0  ME.  MAKOT. 


London,  April  7,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — My  effort  is  to  let  you  have  something 
from  me,  be  it  ever  so  small  and  indifferent,  by  every 
regular  steamer.  I  would  have  prepared  a  formal  despatch 
to-day,  though  there  is  nothing  to  tell  that  will  not  keep 
for  a  few"  daj^s;  but  that,  suddenly,  the  Queen  has  laid  her 
commands  upon  me,  and  I  must  eat  my  dinner  at  the 
Palace. 

And  pray,  Mr.  Secretary,  what  is  your  minister  to  do 
or  say  if  he  be  placed  at  the  royal  table  alongside  of  Sou- 
louque's  representative,  whose  fine  ebony  our  friend,  Mr. 
Mason,  has  estimated  at  $1000? 

Political  parties  here  are  squaring  off  for  a  regular  set- 
to,  on  two  subjects,  the  Treaty  of  Peace  and  the  Relations 
with  America.  On  the  former,  the  public  dissatisfaction 
is  growing  every  day;  shoulders  are  shrugged,  and  a  sense 
of  disappointment  and  humiliation  expressed  in  all  quar- 
ters, to  such  an  extent,  indeed,  that  I  doubt  whether  an 
illumination  can  be  safely  ventured.  On  the  second  topic, 
Mr.  Gladstone  has  broken  ground  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons with  considerable  animation ; — so  much  so  as  to 
cause  Lord  Palmerston  to  lose  his  temper,  a  thing  he 
very' rarely  does,  and  to  occasion  quite  a  general  surprise. 
He  would  seem,  though  not  yet  very  decidedly,  to  be  re- 
solved on  standing  by  Mr.  Crampton,  and  to  regard  his 
omission  to  communicate  to  you  for  two  months  the  let- 
ter of  Lord  Clarendon,  offering  to  arbitrate  the  Central 
American  difficulties,  as  of  no  importance,  because  the 
offer  had  been  repeatedly  made  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  and 
communicated  by  him  to  you  long  before.  A  vague  im- 
pression prevails  that  upon  these  two  questions  united, 
the  ministry  ^x\\\  go  by  the  board,  and  that  Mr.  Glad- 
stone, certainly  the  only  fully  competent  man  presenting 
himself,  will,  in  the  new  combination,  take  the  place  now 
filled  by  Lord  Palmerston. 

I  wish  our  well-wishers  here,  who  are  becoming  loud 
and  more  numerous  hourly,  could  be  spared,  for  a  time  at 
least,  the  shock  they  will  certainly  receive  on  the  Presi- 
dent's declining  to  arbitrate.     There  is  a  moral  weight  in 


16  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

an  oiFer  of  that  sort  wliicli  nothing  but  a  perfect  knowl- 
edge and  correct  appreciation  of  the  matter  in  controversy 
can  entirely  repel,  and  it  is  absolutely  amazing  how  few 
among  our  best  friends  understand  the  subject  even  super- 
ficially !  For  my  own  part,  I  am  against  arbitration,  as 
involving  something  that  savors  of  concession,  and  I  am 
convinced  that  if  we  calmly  but  firmly,  and  especially 
with  quiet  and  steady  preparation  for  the  worst,  hold  on 
to  the  obviously  just  construction  we  have  given  the 
treaty,  this  government  will  give  way,  indirectly,  per- 
haps, by  proposing  to  nullify  the  treaty  and  begin  again, 
or  directly  by  removing  iu^  some  such  fashion  as  Mr. 
Squier's  project,  all  possible  motive  to  persevere  in  their 
misinterpretation.  We  have  distinctly  and  ably,  in  the 
face  of  the  world,  taken  our  position  on  both  the  matters 
in  difference  ;  it  is  entirely  too  late  to  change  that  position, 
or  even  to  seem  to  hesitate  about  it.  Lord  Palmerston 
must  be  looked  coolly  in  the  eye,  so  that  he  may  gather 
from  our  composure  as  well  as  from  our  words,  the  convic- 
tion that  he  can  expect  no  substantial  change  in  us.  Still, 
a  short  postponement  of  the  President's  final  determina- 
tion on  the  question  of  umpirage,  would  give  to  many  in 
both  houses  of  Parliament,  now  that  the  ball  is  opened, 
an  opportunity  to  inform  themselves  accurately,  and  so 
to  avoid  being  shocked  by  the  refusal  when  it  comes. 

I  was  somewhat  struck  by  a  remark  which  was  made 
to  me  by  a  gentleman,  rather  high  in  office,  at  a  soiree 
on  Saturday  last.  In  the  course  of  conversation  I  had 
ventured  to  say  that  what  surprised  me  was,  that  a  man  so 
personally  good-tempered  and  courteous  as  the  Premier, 
could  use  such  words  and  evince  such  bitter  feelings  as  he 
sometimes  did  towards  the  United  States.  "  Perhaps," 
was  observed,  "it  may  not  be  his  fault."  "How  so?"  lim- 
mediately  asked ;  "  and  whose  fault  can  it  be  ?"  "  "Well," 
was  the  reply,  "I  think  it  all  originates  with  Clarendon  !" 
This  may  be  an  effusion  -of  personal  grudge  against  the 
Earl,  worthy  of  very  little  reliance;  and  yet  we  sometimes 
get  a  peep  behind  the  curtain  by  casual  remarks  of  this 
sort. 

Mr.  C,  just  returned  from  Paris,  tells  me  that  Mr,  Bu- 
chanan proceeds  home  by  the  Arago  on  the  9th  instant, 
— the  vessel  which  takes  this  note. 

I  cannot  forbear  repeating  to  you  my  anxiety  that  you 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  17 

should  not  permit  any  importunity  to  persuade  you  to  re- 
move our  consul  at  Leeds.  He  is,  as  a  public  oflicer,  Urst- 
rate. 

Majors  Delatieldand  Mordecai,and  Captain  McClellan, 
have  not  yet  obtained  the  visiting  permits  for  the  several 
military  offices  which  Lord  Palmerston  promised  me  a 
week  ago.  I  hope  he  has  not  been  thwarted  by  the  re- 
spective Boards,  and  that  the  papers  will  be  forthcoming 
soon. 

There  is  to  be  a  grand  naval  review  off  Portsmouth,  the 
chart  and  programme  of  which  will  accompany  this  letter. 
It  was  prepared  and  presented  to  me  by  Captain  John 
Washington,  of  the  Hydrographical  Office.  At  this  mo- 
ment the  exhibition  is  fixed  for  the  17th  of  April — a  day 
which  I  cannot  give  to  it — but  Captain  Washington  tells 
me  that  the  naval  officers  wish  it  postponed'  for  a  week, 
and  that  the  Queen  may  probably  so  command  ; — and  if- 
80,  I  will  endeavor  to  be  a  witness.  Captain  Benham,  of 
our  Coast  Surve}^,  may,  as  an  engineer,  deem  it  import- 
ant that  he  also  should  be  present. 

The  scientific  gentleman  whom  I  have  just  mentioned. 
Captain  Washington,  has  told  me  of  the  discover}^  of  a 
process  by  which  the  place  at  which  a  submarine  cable, 
sunk  in  the  sea  for  telegraphic  purposes,  breaks,  can  be 
immediately  ascertained.  At  the  point  either  of  begin- 
ning or  ending,  the  spot  is  determined  in  a  very  novel  but 
certain  manner,  by  time,  or  intensity  in  the  action  of  the 
fluid.  He  regards  it  as  of  immense  importance,  in  encour- 
aging the  laying  of  submferine  cables,  but  he  could  give  me 
no  more  definite  or  accurate  account  of  it.  It  may  possi- 
bly not  be  wholly  new  to  the  Superintendent  of  our  Coast 
Survey. 

You  must  not  hesitate  to  let  me  know  if  you  think  I 
waste  your  time. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  6.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  April  18,  1856. 
My  dear  Sir, — My  despatch  has  gone  by  the  steamship 
on  Wednesday  last,  but  I  think  it  probable  that  this  epis- 


18  TO  MR.  3IARCY. 

tie,  by  the  Persia  on  to-morrow,  will  reach  you  quite  as 
soon,  if  not  a  little  earlier. 

I  regret  that  Major  Delalield  and  his  colleagues  could 
not  give  another  week  to  the  pursuit  of  their  researches, 
as  Ihave  latterly  received  fi^om  the  Foreign  Office  notes 
which  might  have  facilitated  their  progress. 

If  the  statements  made  to  me  by  very  many  of  our  lead- 
ing friends  in  the  House  of  Commons  can  be  relied  upon, 
a  most  determined  and  formidable  assault  on  the  ministry, 
in  respect  to  our  relations,  may  be  looked  for.  As  far  as 
I  have  yet  acted,  my  desire  has  been  to  strengthen  the 
position  of  our  parliamentary  advocates  by  removing  all 
pretence  of  a  hostile  feeling  on  our  part,  and  putting  the 
hostility  of  the  ministry  on  the  grounds  of  some  '■'■  inexo- 
rable state  policy, ^^  in  reference  to  their  commercial  en- 
croachments by  the  colony  of  the  Bay  Islands,  or  some 
^^ foregone  conclusion''  as  to  the  enlistment  question,  quite 
inaccessible  to  reason  or  manly  conciliation.  Such  you 
will  see  to  have  been  my  intimations  at  the  Lord  Mayor's 
dinner  to  me  of  yesterday.*     I  send  you  an  exact  copy  of 

*  The  table-address  at  the  Mansion  House  referred  to  in  the  foregoing 
letter,  was  the  following  : 

My  Lord,  Ladies,  and  Gentlemen, — The  very  kind  and  compli- 
mentary language  with  which  his  lordship  prefaced  the  last  toast,  and 
the  cordial  manner  in  which  it  has  been  received  by  this  distinguished 
assemblage,  are  entitled  to,  and  I  hope  you  will  accept,  the  return  of  my 
gratitude.  I  am,  in  truth,  however,  almost  bankrupt  in  thanks  ;  for  since 
landing  in  the  dominions  of  your  illustrious  Queen,  as  the  representative 
of  the  gi.vernment  and  people  of  the  United  States,  I  have  met  nothing 
but  a  series  of  flattering  welcomes  and  hospitalities.  Although  perfectly 
conscious  that  these  manifestations  are  not  in  the  remotest  degree  addressed 
to  an  individual  so  utterly  unentitled  to  them  as  myself,  but  that  they  are 
profusely  lavished  as  a  generous  tribute  to  a  nation  as  whose  messenger  I 
come ;  still,  on  its  behalf,  and  with  the  sensibility  which  I  know  it  would 
unanimously  feel,  I  must  beg  you,  my  lord,  ladies,  and  gentlemen,  to 
receive  this  expression  of  profound  acknowledgment. 

There  are  some  topics  on  which  it  would  be  ill-timed,  if  not  unwise, 
more  enterprising  than  safe,  to  touch  on  this  occasion,  and  in  this  pres- 
ence;  indeed,  my  arrival  is  so  recent  that  the  subjects  which  would  be 
most  acceptable  to  you  are  as  yet  unknown  to  me.  I  dare  say,  however, 
that  I  can  venture,  without  much  hazard  (in  the  provincialism  natural 
to  AVestern  tongue),  to  guess  tliat  tlie  spirit  and  purpose  of  a  new-comer 
are  matters  of  at  least  partial  curiosity.  Well,  my  lord,  I  am  neither 
authorized  to  feel,  nor  do  I  feel  any  desire  other  than  that  of  giving  all 
my  energies  and  eff'orts  unreservedly,  to  the  restoration  of  the  most  har- 
mf)nious  sentiments  and  fricmdly  relations  between  America  and  Eng- 
land.    Animated  by  such  a  spirit,  and  aiming  at  such  a  purpose,  if  I  fail, 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  19 

my  remarks,  for  I  took  care  to  premeditate  carefully,  and 
rely  more  upon  my  memory  than  upon  the  extempora- 
neous afflatus  of  the  occasion.  Allow  me  to  analyze  briefly. 
You  will  note  that — 

1.  I  ignore  all  the  balderdash  about  mother  country, 
kindred,  and  so  forth.  One  of  to-day's  papers,  referring 
to  a  short  speech  made  by  me  at  the  most  republican  of 
the  London  clubs,  on  the  evening  of  the  16th  inst.,  puts 
nonsense  of  this  kind  very  falsely  into  my  mouth.  The 
truth  is  that  such  terms  as  "  mother,"  "daughter,"  "  cous- 
ins," etc.,  are  their  own  familiar  ones,  and  if  jou  refer 
to  England  and  America,  their  version  makes  it  a  refer- 
ence to  mother  and  daughter.  I  have  resolutely,  and  from 
principle,  eschewed  any  phrase  of  the  sort. 

2.  My  reception  has  been  such  as  to  exact  the  strong 
acknowledgments  made;  and  this  was  not  only  due,  but 
in  harmony  with  my  purpose. 

3.  I  designedly  forebore  expanding  on  the  points  of 
diflference,  but  asserted  that  if,  with  the  conciliatory  spirit 
and  purpose  I  avowed,  the  government  made  my  mis- 
sion fail,  it  would  be  because  they  had  found  out  that  the 
Claj'ton-Bulwer  treaty  checked  their  commercial  ambi- 
tion at  a  most  interesting  point,  or  because  Mr.  Crampton 
and  the  consuls  (who  are  said  to  be  ready  to  vindicate 
their  course  by  publishing  their  instructions)  were  to  be 
sustained  at  all  hazards.  This  was  said  in  terms  not  as 
here  stated,  but  to  the  intelligent  perfectly  clear. 

4.  I  introduced  a  congratulation  on  the  Peace,  because 
I  thought  it  would  quietly  and  respectfully  imply  a  per- 
fect and  cool  contempt  for  the  idea  that  our  government 
could  in  the  slightest  degree  be  affected  in  their  pursuit 
of  right  by  the  p'owerful  attitude  in  which  that  Peace  left 
England. 

as  fail  I  may,  it  will  be  because  of  some  overruling  and  inexorable  policy 
of  state,  or  some  foregone  conclusion  not  to  be  undone  by  manly  and 
honorable  conciliation. 

Allow  me,  my  lord,  in  conclusion,  to  oflfer  my  congratulations  to  your 
lordship,  and  to  all  the  guests  who  surround  you,  on  the  great  event  con- 
summated since  my  arrival — the  restoration  of  peace  to  Europe.  War, 
though  undoubtedly  accompanied  by  moral  benefits  or  alleviations,  is 
still,  and  at  best,  an  evil ;  and  the  vast  industrial  power  of  the  empire, 
however  for  a  time  gallantly  enlisted  and  ably  directed,  will  find  more 
genial  and  fruitful  employment  in  those  channels  of  agricultural,  com- 
mercial, manufacturing,  and  mechanical  exertion,  which  have  so  emi- 
nently distinguished  her  people  in  their  march  of  improvement. 

Eenewed  acknowledgments,  etc. 


20  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

The  support  given  to  my  remarks  was  very  decided. 
Lord  Stanley  (who,  as  the  son  of  Lord  Derby,  was  called 
upon  to  respond  to  a  toast  complimentary  to  the  House  of 
Peers)  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  that  body  would  echo 
my  sentiments,  and  that  the  man  in  England  who  would 
venture  to  assail  the  institutions  and  government  of  the 
United  States  would  be  regarded  as  a  dangerous  public 
enemy.  Mr.  Cardwell  (responding  for  the  House  of  Com- 
mons), while  all  the  members  present  stood  up  as  expres- 
sive of  their  adhesion  to  his  views,  went  so  far  as  to  say 
that  he  "  could  almost  pledge  the  Commons  of  England 
to  sustain  the  American  Minister  in  the  assertion  of  his 
country's  international  rights  against  any  ministry  what- 
ever." An  eminent  and  eloquent  clergyman  put  in  the 
same  sentiment  from  the  Church ;  and  Mr.  Roebuck,  sitting 
by  me  at  the  time,  said  that  I  could  now  see  that  Lords, 
Commons,  and  Church  agreed  with  the  great  body  of  the 
British  people,  and  would  never  submit  to  quarrel  with 
America  on  the  pretexts  got  up :  he  added,  with  emphasis, 
we  fear  no  power  on  earth,  and  I  am  incapable  of  hypoc- 
risy— my  only  wish  is  that  you  should  know  the  truth. 

Lord  Lyndhurst,  whose  great  age  has  in  no  respect  im- 
paired his  powers  of  mind,  is  said  to  be  preparing  to  take 
the  field  for  us  in  the  Lords.  A  trifling,  but  to  me  most 
agreeable  incident,  gave  countenance  to  this  idea,  at  the 
recent  Levee,  which  I  attended  as  chaperon  to  three  of  our 
countrymen.  I  was  passing,  in  the  line  of  diplomats,  to 
the  throne-room,  when  I  felt  myself  caught  by  the  arm, 
and  heard  the  exclamation :  "  Welcome,  my  countryman, 
welcome  to  England !"  I  turned,  saw  a  very  venerable 
man  in  court  costume  ;  did  not  know  him,  for  I  had  never 
seen  him  before,  but  thanked  him  cordiaHy,  and  hurriedly 
passed  on.  After  performing  my  duty  in  presenting  ni}^ 
jyroteges,  I  waited  close  by  the  Queen  to  see  who  the  old 
gentleman  might  be;  ascertained  that  he  was  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst, and  then,  going  up  to  him,  renewed  my  thanks  for 
his  welcome,  which  he  very  cordially  received.  ' 

I  forward  to  you  in  the  Bag  to-day  an  interesting  com- 
munication from  Mr.  Mason,  received  yesterday.  I  have, 
as  he  requested,  carefully  read  it ;  and  should  the  emer- 
gency to  which  he  refers  arise,  or  be  seen  approaching,  I 
shall  not  fail  to  advise  him  promptly.  Although  my  im- 
prcssions  are  as  yet  like  his  own,  there  is  no  knowing 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  21 

what  a  whim  may  bring  forth,  and  I  think  it  might  be 
prudent  to  instruct  the  Commodore  either  to  affect,  for  a 
month  or  two  to  come,  some  business  with  the  ships  of 
his  squadron  in  such  of  the  Mediterranean  ports  as  would 
prevent  any  abrupt  attack,  or  gradually  to  disperse  them 
on  the  lookout.  I  will  write  to  Mr.  Mason  this  sugges- 
tion, and  perhaps  he  will  see  the  expediency  of  applying 
it  at  once,  and  until  some  time  has  elapsed  after  the  grand 
review  at  Portsmouth  on  the  23d  inst. 

By-the-by,  the  frequency  with  which  I  have  been  ad- 
vised and  almost  solicited,  by  the  officers  of  the  govern- 
ment, to  attend  this  naval  review,  has  rather  confirmed 
my  disinclination.  It  will  be  a  grand  and  ostentatious 
display  of  British  naval  power,  at  which,  as  an  American, 
citizen  or  minister,  I  shall  be  reluctant  to  play  the  part  of 
a  wondering  spectator.  I  was  told  that  *  *  *  *  had  said 
he  would  rather  have  Mr.  Dallas  attend  than  all  the  others 
of  the  diplomatic  body ;  as  indicative  of  something  like 
this  peculiar  desire,  I  send  you  the  copy  of  a  short  note 
this  moment  received  from  the  Foreign  Office,  and  I  add 
a  copy  of  my  reply.  I  do  not  intend,  unless  commanded 
by  a  direct  invitation  from  the  Queen  (which  I  have  feared 
might  come),  to  swell  the  exulting  crowd  at  that  demon- 
stration, but  shall,  of  course,  abstain  gracefully. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


Wo.  7.~T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  April  20,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Lord  Aberdeen  was  kind  enough  to 
pay  me  a  visit  this  morning;  and  the  result  of  a  long  con- 
versation with  him  is  my  conviction  that,  in  the  course 
of  two  or  three  days,  I  shall  receive,  to  be  forwarded  to 
you,  the  reply  of  Lord  Clarendon  to  your  letter  of  the 
28th  of  December  last,  requesting,  at  its  close,  the  recall 
of  Mr.  Crampton,  and  the  removal  of  Messrs.  Rowcroft, 
Barclay,  and  Matthew. 

This  reply  will  be  calm  and  moderate  in  tone,  but  de- 
finitive in  declining  to  do  what  you  have  asked.  It  will 
found  its  reasoning  upon  fresh  statements  and  evidence 


22  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

fiirnislied  by  Mr.  Cramp  ton,  and  affect  to  be  unable,  witli- 
out  doing  injustice,  to  determine  the  question  of  veracity 
on  points  of  fact.  Of  course,  neither  Lord  Aberdeen,  nor 
any  one  else  out  of  the  Foreign  Office,  has  exact  knowl- 
edge of  what  the  facts  are  upon  which  Mr.  Crampton  has 
raised,  or  rather  bolstered  up,  the  issue  for  the  relief  of 
the  ministry.  It  is  conceived  that,  unless  by  some  harsh 
and  unexpected  course  of  action  on  the  part  of  our  gov- 
ernment, a  reaction  in  sentiment  shall  be  suddenly  pro- 
voked, Lord  Palmerston  will  be  unable  to  sustain  himself. 
No  one  will  be  surprised  if  Mr.  Crampton  be  dismissed 
ultimately;  but  it  may  be  (as  was  said  to  me)  that  a  plausi- 
ble case  of  contradictory  proof  may  be  the  burthen  of 
Lord  C.'s  reply,  and  that  many  will  expect  it  to  be  met 
before  the  final  blow  is  struck.  Lord  Aberdeen  is  a  calm 
and  judicious  man.  His  political  position  here  you  per- 
fectly well  understand.  He  would  undoubtedly  desire  to 
preserve  good  relations  between  the  two  countries.,  and  is 
by  no  means  satisfied  that  a  similar  disposition  on  the  part 
of  the  ministry  would  not,  especially  at  their  commence- 
ment, have  avoided  existing  difficulties.  But  he  is  a  loyal, 
high-minded  statesman,  and  is  obviously  not  prepared 
to  prejudge  the  new  testimony  sent  forward,  and  of  which 
be  can  have  no  accurate  knowledge  until  it  shall  be  laid 
upon  the  table  of  the  House  of  Commons,  as  repeatedly 
promised  by  Lord  Palmerston. 

Since  reading  the  Globe  of  the  18th  instant,  I  have  been 
in  very  little  doubt  as  to  the  "foregone  conclusion"  in 
respect  to  the  matter  of  foreign  enlistments,  upon  which 
this  government  had  settled.  That  newspaper,  in  my 
opinion  a  reliable  representative  of  cabinet  policy,  when 
commenting  upon  my  address  at  the  Lord  Mayor's  dinner, 
and  after  many  compliments  to  it  and  my  sentiments, 
with  an  expression  of  a  desire  to  keep  the  best  relations 
with  us,  yet  closed  its  article  with  a  strong  "trust"  that 
notwithstanding  all  this,  "  no  considerations,  even  those 
arising  from  the  prospect  of  war  and  its  calamities,  will 
ever  lead  the  British  nation  to  deflect  one  inch  from  the 
path  of  uprightness  and  honor." 

Considering,  then,  that  the  British  ministry  refuse  your 
demand,  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  will  send  Mr.  Cramp- 
ton his  passports,  and  that,  as  soon  as  your  having  done 
80  is  officially  known  here,  I  shall  receive  mine.     It  will. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  23 

in  all  probability,  be  in  your  power  before  that  to  apprise 
me  at  what  time  you  intend  acting,  and  what  course  the 
President  would  wish  me  to  take  on  being  tendered 
"my  ticket  of  leave."  Certainly  I  will  comply  with  his 
and  your  instructions  as  far  as  I  can  ;  but  my  inclination 
is,  as  I  think  my  true  representative  duty  and  policy  are, 
to  quit  England  instantly,  and  to  remain  for  a  limited  pe- 
riod either  in  Paris,  orBrussels,  or  Geneva,  until  I  receive 
your  final  directions.  Of  course,  I  cannot  do  this  without 
incurring  serious  and  most  inconvenient  loss : — but  this  is  a 
consideration  by  which  you  cannot  be  "  deflected  one  inch 
from  the  path  of  uprightness  and  honor;"  and  it  is  only 
mentioned  as  a  reason  for  my  adding  that  1  presume  my 
receiving  my  passports  and  going  on  the  Continent  do 
not  cancel  my  commission  as  minister,  or  suspend  my 
credit  with  the  Barings  for  salary,  until  I  am  recalled  by 
the  President.  My  functions,  although  not  exercised  in 
diplomatic  intercourse  with  the  government  here,  are  at 
the  discretion  of  the  President  only. 

*  *  *  I  have  just  received  your  private  letter  of  the 
7th  inst.,  in  which  you  say  that,  having  heard  Mr.  Cramp- 
ton  had  sent  to  his  government  an  elaborate  defence  of 
his  course,  you  "inferred  that  the  discussion  is  to  be 
further  protracted.  This  inference  squares  with  what  Lord 
Aberdeen  seemed  to  consider  as  highly  expedient :  and, 
indeed,  as  the  matter  of  foreign  enlistment  has  taken  the 
foreground  of  our  difterences,  and  has  been  managed  by 
you  with  so  much  force  and  labor,  I  should  regret  your 
omitting  anything  by  which  your  powerful  argument  of 
the  28th  December  can  be  fortified,  so  as  to  repel  the  new 
assault.  I  would  cheerfully  take  the  labor  upon  myself, 
in  order  to  relieve  you  ;  but  your  familiarity  with  the  sub- 
ject will  probably  make  it  easy,  and  the  additional  evidence 
in  your  hands  has  not  been  sent  here.  Besides,  a  reason- 
able delay  on  our  side,  for  a  substantial  reason,  after  the 
long  delay  on  theirs,  merely  on  the  ground  of  Lord  Clar- 
endon's absence,  can  only  enure  to  our  benefit,  by  letting 
the  parliamentary  scene  of  action  be  fully  developed.  It 
may  be  that  a  change  of  ministry  on  the  Peace  question 
would  save  trouble  all  round. 

This  peace  is  very  generally  regarded  as  one  forced  upon 
the  government,  and  in  truth  a  botchery  and  a  sham. 
Rumor  will  have  it  that  Louis  iSTapoleon  has  been  too  lav- 


24  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

isli  in  personal  as  well  as  national  expenditure,  and  that 
he  insisted  npon  closing  a  war  whose  next  campaign  (not 
necessary  to  preserve  the  -military  prestige  of  France) 
might  drive  himself  and  his  public  chest  into  bankruptcy. 
One  of  the  already  apparent  effects  of  the  peace  is  the 
universal  bitterness  against  England  on  the  Continent, 
and  the  general  chorus  in  praise  of  France. 

The  ministry  are  trying  to  make  capital  out  of  the 
Italian  question.  But  nothing  will  give  brightness  to  the 
illumination  which  has  been  resolved  upon;  and  to  main- 
tain the  tranquillity  of  which,  in  this  discontented  and 
mortified  metropolis.  Horse  Guards  and  Life  Guards  are 
deemed  necessary.  Riot  is  anticipated;  but  the  aifair  is  too 
lifeless  to  kindle  excitement;  it  will  pass  off'  as  a  mockery. 

Some  attention  is  given  here  to  our  fermentation  pre- 
paratory to  the  coming  Presidential  election,  and  I  am 
frequently  asked  as  to  its  probable  result.  Of  course,  I  can 
give  them  nothing  better  than  conjecture ;  and  they  regard 
it  as  "  quite  odd  "  that,  notwithstanding  the  character  of 
the  new  House  of  Representatives,  and  the  election  of  a 
Black  as  Speaker,  I  should  be  confident  of  a  democratic 
success.  They  do  not  seem  to  speculate  upon  deriving 
any  advantage  from  our  defeat;  indeed,  they  rather  de- 
spise the  doctrine  of  "  America  for  the  Americans;"  and 
what  they  consider  the  total  disappearance  of  the  Whig 
party,  their  old  allies,  leaves  them  very  suspicious  of  the 
new  factions.  I  think,  too,  our  steady  adherence  to  re- 
publican doctrines,  accompanied  by  the  constantly  aug- 
menting prosperity  and  power  of  the  country,  are  visibly 
undermining  their  former  prejudices,  and  letting  in  upon 
their  thoughts,  their  manners,  and  even  their  conversa- 
tion, a  great  deal  more  democracy  than  they  themselves 
are  conscious  of.  I  see  this  in  every  rank  of  society,  and 
perhaps  more  among  the  nobles  and  titled  than  in  other 
classes. 

As  soon  as  Lord  Clarendon  returns  to  the  Foreign  Of- 
fice, Ilerran  says  he  will  open  upon  him  the  recession  of 
the  Bay  Islands  to  Honduras,  upon  Mr.  Squier's  plan.  I 
will  bear  in  mind  the  views  of  your  No.  7.  The  Earl  is 
reported  to  me  as  decidedly  favorable  to  the  scheme ;  and 
it  is  possible  that  he  may  catch  at  it  as  the  only  mode  of  dis- 
entangling this  government  from  the  absurd  misconstruc- 
tion he  gave  to  the  treaty  of  1850. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  25 

No.  8.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  April  25,  1856. 

^Iy  dear  Sir, — Last  evening  Lord  Palmerston  laid 
upon  the  table  of  the  House  of  Commons  the  papers  re- 
lating to  our  differences.  Of  what  the  packet  consists  I 
have  not  yet  ascertained.  It  can  hardly  contain  the  reply 
to  your  letter  of  28th  December,  because  up  to  this  hour 
that  repl}^  has  not  been  sent  to  this  legation.  In  the 
Lords,  Lord  Clarendon  promised  the  papers  early  next 
week. 

I  wrote  by  the  Hermann,  which  steamed  from  South- 
ampton last  Wednesday,  a  rather  lengthy  letter  to  you  on 
the  subject  of  the  expected  reply.  I  was  anxious  that 
you  should  get  my  views  as  early  as  possible,  founded,  as 
they  are,  on  information  perfectly  reliable.  I  presume 
you  will  get  that  letter  either  before  or  about  the  same 
time  with  this,  and  will  not,  therefore,  repeat  its  contents 
further  than  to  say  that  your  request  for  the  recall  of  Mr. 
Crampton  will  be  declined  upon  the  basis  of  fresh  statements 
and  jjr oof  furnished  bij  3Ir.  Crampton,  and  in  a  tone  vastly 
improved  from  the  former  envenomed  one. 

All  London  is  laughing  at  the  ridiculous  mishaps  which 
occurred  owing  to  the  mismanagement  of  the  arrange- 
ments for  the  great  I^aval  Review  of  the  day  before  yes- 
terday. Both  Houses  of  Parliament  discussed  them  for 
an  hour  last  night,  and  a  morning  journal  contains  along 
article,  full  of  fun,  but  considering  the  whole  affair  as 
somewhat  a  fiiilure,  and  as  a  sort  of  representation  of  the 
mismanagement  of  Balaklava.  The  Peers  and  Commons, 
pompously  invited  to  be  near  the  Queen,  were  left  in  the 
lurch.  Lord  Palmerston  was  twice,  in  the  tumultuous 
mel^e,  turned  out  of  rail-cars  by  the  conductors.  Lords 
of  Council  and  high  Church  dignitaries,  and  Chief  Jus- 
tice Campbell  underwent  all  sorts  of  annoyances  and  de- 
lays. What  became  of  the  Diplomatic  body  nobody  can 
tell.  A  huge  steamer  ran  down  a  gun-boat.  The  ma- 
noeuvring was  indistinct  and  uninteresting,  and  finally 
nothing  seems  left  to  comfort  the  originators  of  this  mag- 
nificent turn-out,  but  the  certain  facts  that  the  number 
of  vessels  of  war  was  240,  and  their  aggregate  armament 

VOL.  I. — 3 


26  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

3002  guns  !  I  am  not  sorry  that  I  abstained  from  being 
"  there  to  see." 

Lord  Clarendon  reached  London  on  the  evening  of 
Monday,  the  21st  instant.  I  received  the  usual  otiicial 
notification  on  the  afternoon  of  the  22d,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing morning  requested  an  interview.  Late  last  night 
I  got  his  reply,  assigning  4  o'clock  this  afternoon  as  the 
hour,  and  the  Foreign  Office  as  the  locus  in  quo.  I  am 
therefore  afraid  that  I  cannot  send  you  by  this  opportu- 
nity my  first  impressions  of  her  Majesty's  principal  Sec- 
retary of  State  for  Foreign  Aflairs.  Indeed,  as  I  have 
nothing  to  discuss  with  him,  I  shall  be  lucky  if  I  can  get 
him  to  say  anything  worthy  of  crossing  the  Atlantic. 

The  ministry  have  lately  been  several  times  in  the  mi- 
nority in  the  House  of  Commons;  and  some  of  the  news- 
paper sentinels  carefully  point  to  each  case  as  a  significant 
sign  of  what  is  coming.  But  I  cannot  yet  perceive  any 
really  heavy  weights  tacked  to  the  heels  of  the  adminis- 
tration, but  the  Peace  and  the  American  question.  These 
are  certainly  pressing  them  down  more  and  more  every 
hour;  but  the  Premier  is  a  man  of  great  adroitness  in  ex- 
tremities, and  may  yet,  by  sudden  movement,  twist  round 
upon  his  tight  rope,  and  dance  ofi',  with  Parliament 
blinded  and  in  tow,  and  in  another  direction.  Pray  observe 
how,  in  the  distribution  of  the  immense  land  and  naval 
forces  on  hand,  he  is  sending  a  larger  force  to  Canada 
than  they  have  ever  yet  had  there ;  other  troops  to  Ber- 
muda; a  most  extraordinary  supply  of  many  millions  of 
ball-cartridges,  etc.,  etc.  We  have  in  cotton,  to  be  sure, 
pretty  good  bail  for  the  peaceful  behavior  of  this  country, 
as  a  general  thing;  but  there  are  epochs  and  circum- 
stances in  which  I  should  not  think  that  bail  sufficient. 
I  have  a  strong  mistrust  of  France ;  but  that  is  Mr.  Ma- 
son's province,  not  mine. 

Allow  me  to  intinuite  that  in  these  critical  times  there 
may  be  some  doubt  as  to  the  entire  security  of  the  arrange- 
ments made  by  the  department  with  the  Cuuard  steam- 
ers, reposing  more  confidence  in  them  than  in  the  Collins 
line,  by  instructing  the  despatch  agent  that  it  is  unneces- 
sary to  have  a  special  bearer  of  despatches  when  the  Bag 
is  sent  by  a  Cunarder.  ISTo  expense  is  incurred  by  these 
bearers  of  despatches;  and  our  travelling  countrymen  are 
always  proud  to  take  charge  of  and  faithfully  protect 


TO   MR.  MARCY.  27 

what  is  meant  for  you.  I  don't  question  the  integrity 
of  the  Canard  officers,  but  the  public  impression  may  be 
the  other  wa}-;  and  all  on  board  steamships  are  not 
olficers. 

You  will  have  read  in  the  newspapers  the  Treaty  of 
Peace.  The  entire  document  breathes  a  spirit  of  tender- 
ness for  Russia  and  indifference  to  England.  Public  opin- 
ion here  has  become  so  pronounced  about  it,  that  the 
formal  illumination  preparing  by  government  is  univer- 
sally sneered  at,  and  even  in  the  House  of  Commons  has 
been  laughed  at  and  ridiculed. 

I  have  just  received  a  communication  from  Mr.  Mason, 
dated  Paris,  the  24th  instant.  He  tells  me  that  he  has 
embraced  my  idea  about  our  Mediterranean  squadron 
(which  I  think  I  sent  to  you  in  my  letter  of  the  18th 
April),  and  has  written  to  that  effect  to  Commodore 
Breese. 

I  sometimes  wish,  for  your  sake,  that  I  wrote  a  larger 
and  bolder  hand.  I  am  conscious  that  eyes  of  a  respect- 
able period  of  life  ought  not  to  be  severely  taxed ;  but 
my  habit  is  inveterate,  and  I  am  forced  to  this  tiliy  chi- 
rography,  if  I  write  at  all. 

I  have  got  nothing  requiring  the  solemnity  of  a  de- 
spatch. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — I  hav_e  opened  this  to  add  that  I  have  had  my 
interview  with  Lord  C;  that  I  said  I  had  come,  first  to 
pay  my  personal  respects,  and  second  to  enquire  within 
what  reasonable  time  I  might  expect,  for  transmission  to 
you,  the  reply  to  your  letter  of  the  28tli  December  last. 
He  was,  of  course,  exceedinglypleased  to^form  my  acquaint- 
ance, and  said  he  would  send  me  a  note,  perhaps  on  Mon- 
day next,  certainly  before  the  next  steamer  left.  This  led 
me  to  suppose  that  there  is  something  coming  separate 
from  the  reply. 

We  talked  over  the  negotiations  at  Paris.  He  is  cer- 
tainly not  satisfied,  but  remarked  that  he  had  had  no  wish 
to  humiliate  Russia  by  the  terms  of  the  treaty.  More  at 
another  time. 


28  TO  ADMIRAL  BEE  CHE  Y. 


No.-  9.-T0  ME.  J.  T.  MASON. 

London,  May  2,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  will  be  agreeable  to  you,  no  doubt, 
to  know  that  your  despatch  to  Governor  Marcy,  respect- 
ing the  course  things  took  about  privateering,  was  re- 
ceived here  just  in  time  to  enable  me,  after  hastily  reading 
it,  to  seal  and  put  it  in  the  Bag  for  the  steamer  Asia  to- 
morrow. 

Governor  Marcy,  who  long  ago  took  into  his  own  man- 
agement the  correspondence  on  the  Enlistment  question, 
still  retains  it.  We  shall  probably  know  nothing  on  that 
subject,  beyond  what  we  at  present  know,  for  six  weeks  to 
come;  and  then  I  do  not,  under  the  existing  circum- 
stances, expect  a  definitive  stage  to  be  reached.  Possibly 
the  controversy  may  drag  its  slow  length  along  until  Con- 
gress rises.  If  our  State  Department  continue  firm,  Baron 
Brunow  (to  whom  I  send  my  cordial  and  most  respectful 
remembrances)  will,  I  feel  assured,  be  proved  a  better 
prophet  than  either  Count  Walewski  or  Lord  Cowley.  I 
refer,  of  course,  to  the  contents  of  your  letter. 

Your  exceedingly  kind  invitation  to  Paris  has  given  us 
all  much  pleasure.  The  ladies  would  enjoy  nothing  bet- 
ter; and  the  opportunity  of  one  of  "the  sights" — the 
sight  of  yourself  and  family — would  be  sure  to  compen- 
sate them  for  the  anno^'ances  of  travelling.  But  this  dis- 
tracting legation  requires  incessant  watchfulness,  espe- 
cially now  that  the  opening  spring  induces  such  shoals  of 
our  countrymen  to  come  abroad;  and  as  to  a  compulsory 
visit,  if  it  occur  at  all,  it  will  hardly  occur  until  the  middle 
of  summer. 

Sincerely  yrs. 


No.  lO.-TO  ADMIKAL  BEEOHET. 

24  Portland  Place,  April  3,  1856. 

Mr.  Dallas,  the  American  Minister,  has  the  honor  to 
acknowledge  the  receipt  of  Admiral  Beechey's  note  of 
to-day,  apprising  him  that  the  Council  of  the  Royal  Geo- 


TO  ADMIRAL  BEECHET.  29 

graphical  Society  had  awarded  to  Dr.  Kane,  of  the  United 
States,  the  Gokl  Medal  of  the  Society,  for  the  distinguished 
conduct  and  discoveries  of  that  gentleman  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  and  for  the  great  zeal  and  energy  dispUiyed,  under 
circumstances  of  great  privation  and  suffering,  in  the 
search  for  Sir  John  Franklin. 

Mr.  Dallas  hears  of  this  tribute,  alike  generous  and 
just,  to  the  services  of  his  countryman,  in  the  cause  of  sci- 
ence and  humanity,  with  much  sensibility  and  pride.  He 
will  attend  at  the  Anniversary  meeting,  on  the  26th  in- 
stant, agreeably  to  the  invitation  of  the  Council,  and  in 
receiving  the  medal  will  undertake  its  safe  transmission 
to  Dr.  Kane.* 


*  When  Admiral  Beechey,  in  the  presence  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society,  handed  this  Grold  Medal  to  the  American  Minister,  it  was  ac- 
knowledged by  the  following  short  address  : 

Mr.  Presidext, — On  behalf  of  my  fellow-citizen,  Dr.  Elisha  K.  Kane, 
I  receive,  with  equal  pride  and  pleasure,  this  testimonial,  awarded  by 
your  learned  body  to  his  ability  and  services  in  that  branch  of  human 
knowledge  to  which  you  are  specially  devoted. 

His  country  also,  even  now  engaged  in  expressing  her  high  sense  of 
his  deserts,  will  be  gratified  to  learn  that  her  judgment,  which  might 
possibly  be  ascribed  to  partiality,  has  been  thus  sanctioned. 

Young  as  he  yet  is,  and  fairly  entitled  to  count  upon  many  years  of 
zealous  intellectual  activity,  he  can  never  achieve  a  prouder  recognition, 
considered  in  all  its  aspects,  than  this  Medal  of  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  of  London. 

Dr.  Kane,  as  is  personally  known  to  me,  entered  upon  his  career  of 
Arctic  exploration  under  the  influence  of  sentiments  which  were  strength- 
ened rather  than  shaken  by  its  depicted  terrors.  In  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  Navy  of  the  United  States,  on  a  remote  station,  his  govern- 
ment scarcely  intimated  a  disposition  to  join  in  the  search  for  Sir  John 
Franklin  before  he  hurried  forward  to  volunteer  an  enlistment  for  that 
noble  purpose.  There  was  a  voice  upon  the  breeze  that  had  caught  his 
ear.  An  ardent  fondness  for  scientific  studies  impelled  him  to  a  fresh 
field  tf  research.  A  daring  and  irrepressible  spirit  of  enterprise  co- 
operated with  much  experience  and  peculiar  attainments.  He  went — he 
went  twice  ;  and,  though  he  vainly  offered  his  own  life  to  rescue  another's, 
he  brought  back  with  him  observations,  verifications,  discoveries,  and 
delineations  worthy  to  be  accepted  by  the  masters  of  Geographical  science. 
If,  as  I  believe  was  the  case,  he  penetrated  to,  and  actually  beheld,  the 
ice-encircled  yet  open  Sea,  whose  existence  had  been  predicated  of  the 
periodical  northern  flight  of  aquatic  birds,  of  certain  currents,  and  of 
other  indicia^  he  may  justly  feel  that  the  practical  solution  of  an  interest- 
ing problem  has  earned  the  honor  of  your  approbation. 

I  do  not  wish,  Mr.  President,  to  eulogize  my  countryman.  Tou  are  far 
more  competent  than  myself  to  appreciate  the  exact  value  of  what  he 
has  effected.  Tour  Council  have  affixed  to  his  record  this,  their  Great 
Seal,  and,  at  your  invitation,  and  with  alacrity,  I  assume  the  grateful 
task  of  transmitting  it  safelv  to  his  hands. 


30  TO  MR.  MARCY 


No.  11 -TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  May  6,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — After  the  despatch  sent  you  by  the 
steamer  of  Saturday,  the  3d  instant,  I  have  not  enough 
on  hand  for  another  of  that  formal  character  by  to-mor- 
row's. Perhaps  Lord  C.'s  reply  to  yours  of  the  28th  De- 
cember, will  be  enough  for  some  time  to  come.  I  was 
surprised  at  finding  it  printed  in  the  Times  and  Post,  on 
the  very  morning  the  steamer  sailed.  You  will  probably 
have  received  it  in  that  shape. 

This  reply  is  more  than  commonly  conciliator}^  in  tone, 
and  its  concluding  paragraphs  are  thought  to  evince  a 
sincere  desire  to  avoid  a  breach.  Although  it  imports  a 
refusal  to  recall,  it  avoids  saying  so  expressly ;  and  it  may 
be  construed  as  withholding  a  definitive  answer  until  you 
have  had  an  opportunity  to  consider  the  denials  of  the 
four  honorable  gentlemen,  with  the  budget  of  loose  and 
w^anton  affidavits.  Of  all  the  acts  to  which  this  govern- 
ment has  resorted  in  defence  of  their  officials,  I  cannot 
help  regarding  the  procuring  and  publishing  such  a  mass 
of  gossiping  slander  as  the  most  disgraceful.  To  be  sure 
the  letter  of  Strobel  to  Mr.  Crampton,  demanding  XlOO, 
and  threatening  to  turn  State's  evidence  if  he  be  not  sent 
the  means  to  quit  the  country,  is  very,  very  bad,  and  he 
must  cease  to  be  relied  upon,  whatever  may  have  been  his 
former  character.  That  letter,  however,  like  those  of  Mr. 
Crampton  and  others,  adduced  on  the  trial  of  Hertz,  is 
substantive  proof  in  itself;  it  is  incapable  of  being  ex- 
plained away.  Not  so  the  absurd  tittle-tattle  and  hear- 
say, often  three  degrees  removed,  invoked  from  ignorant 
and  prejudiced  men  to  destroy  the  statements  of  Hertz 
and  others.  This  is  all  garbage  with  which  Lord  Claren- 
don and  Mr.  Crampton  should  have  disdained  to  foul  their 
pens.  Still,  it  will  have  its  intended  effect  upon  the  minds 
of  superficial  examiners,  and  I  need  not  say  that  these 
count  as  a  thousand  to  one  against  the  refiecting  and 
analyzing.  Hence  the  expediency  of  commenting  upon 
it,  and,  if  within  your  power,  of  dispelling  it  by  some 
strong  testimony,  such  as  that  to  which  you  have  re- 
ferred in  one  of  your  private  letters.     Even  if  you  decide 


TO   MR.  MARCY.  31 

to  send  Mr.  C.  liis  passports,  I  would  accompany  that 
final  measure  with  reasons,  incorporating  a  complete 
refutation  of  these  pretences  of  a  Quarter-sessions  char- 
acter, why  you  regard  further  correspondence  or  argu- 
ment as  unnecessary  and  uncalled  for. 

There  are  gentlemen  here  who  take  another  view  of 
Lord  Clarendon's  reply.  They  represent  it  as  an  effort 
to  persuade  you  to  let  him  otf  upon  the  basis  of  a  gener- 
ous adherence  to  public  agents  misled  by  zeal  in  the  ser- 
vice of  their  country;  upon  the  ground  that  they  were  not 
lawyers,  and  did  not  exactly  apprehend  the  legal  charac- 
ter of  the  steps  they  were  taking;  upon  the  unwillingness 
to  rest  a  quarrel  on  evidence  derived  from  sources  par- 
tially tainted  and  equivocal;  and,  more  than  all,  upon 
what  they  regard  as  an  appeal  to  your  magnanimity,  not 
to  persevere  after  reiterated  expressions  of  regret,  and 
upon  receiving  renewed  and  cordial  assurances  of  good 
will  and  friendship.  If  I  could  take  this  view  I  would 
certainly  and  frankly  urge  you  to  act  upon  it,  as  it  must, 
I  think,  be  admitted,  that  your  doing  so  could  onlj-  be 
ascribed  to  a  forbearance  in  favor  of  peace.  But  I  can- 
not so  construe  the  sweeping  and  merciless  and  foul  at- 
tack to  which  Lord  C.  has  lent  his  high  station  and 
higher  name  against  the  motives,  the  officers,  and  the 
proceedings  of  the  American  government.  Our  judges 
are  all  under  executive  or  party  control ;  our  district  at- 
torneys and  marshals  are  all  subservient  and  venal ;  our 
citizens,  if  witnesses,  all  corrupt  and  perjured;  and  our 
juries,  grand  and  petit,  unworthy  of  confidence  !  Such 
is  the  impression  which  this  extraordinary  paper,  if  not 
repelled  conclusively,  must  have  upon  the  general  mind 
of  Europe.  I  do  not,  I  cannot,  believe  that  Lord  C.  had 
careftilly  considered  the  miserable  tissue  of  wanton  scan- 
dal he  was  sending  you,  or  the  extent  to  which  it  neces- 
sarily carried  him.  There  it  is,  however,  and  you  are 
forced  to  deal  with  it  exactly  as  he  has  shaped  it,  and  as 
the  world  will  understand  it.  Had  it  been  read  to  the 
assembled  representatives  of  the  seven  Great  Powers,  in 
the  Congress  at  Paris,  it  would  have  been  hailed  with 
smiles  as  an  exposure  precursive  of  the  downfall  of  re- 
publicanism, and  might  have  formed  a  protocol,  or  at 
least  an  annex  to  a  protocol,  like  the  menace  against  the 
free  press  of  Belgium.     I  wonder  whether  it  may  not  in 


32  TO   MR.  MARGY. 

fact  have  had  the  imprimatur  of  a  majority  of  this  great 
league  of  rulers  against  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the 
ruled  ?  Orlotf  is  the  only  one — no,  his  colleague,  Bru- 
now,  is  another — from  whom  I  should  expect  resistance  to 
its  adoption.  You  must  excuse  this  latitude  of  remark. 
I  am  generally  cool,  hut  now  and  then  heated  hy  trifles; 
and  I  know  your  temj^erament  too  well  to  fear  that  any 
sudden  extravagance  of  mine  can  possibly  mislead  you. 

I  am  just  now  struck  with  the  idea  that,  if  you  inclined 
to  postpone  giving  the  final  blow  on  the  enlistment  ques- 
tion, your  object  might  be  best  attained  by  simply  asking 
Lord  C.  if  it  was  intended  by  her  Majesty's  government 
to  superadd  to  the  many  unpleasant  features  of  the  cor- 
respondence, the  adoption,  as  true,  of  the  various  im- 
putations grossly  made  in  the  affidavits  which  accom- 
panied his  reply,  against  the  integrity  and  honor  of  the 
judicial  and  executive  officers  of  the  United  States?  I 
think  such  a  brief  interrogatory  would  let  him  under- 
stand your  sense  of  the  proceeding,  and  would  oblige  him 
to  do  one  of  two  things,  either  to  say  Yes,  in  which  case 
you  would  have  a  unanimous  feeling  at  home,  or  to  say 
No,  and  that  would  take  from  the  affidavits  all  title  to 
any  respect  whatever,  and  leave  you  free  to  act  upon  the 
general  tone  of  his  reply.  If  we  are  to  quarrel,  let  us  do 
it  with  the  entire  approbation  of  the  American  people, 
and  then  cousequences  need  not  be  apprehended. 

I  returned  Baron  Brunow's  visit  to-day,  and  had  a  long 
conversation  with  him  as  private  friends.  I  knew  him 
intimately  when  in  St.  Petersburg  in  1838.  He  is  here 
only  for  a  short  time,  to  announce  the  death  of  JSTicholas  ! 
I  reproached  him  for  having,  at  the  Conference  in  Paris, 
entered  into  the  English  project  of  abolishing  privateers, 
although  his  country  had  so  little  interest  in  the  matter, 
and  he  perfectly  knew  that  it  was  aimed  exclusively  at 
the  great  defensive  weapon  of  the  United  States  against 
British  disposition  to  go  to  war  with  us.  I  observed  to 
him,  see  what  the  result  is  of  having  sympathized  with 
Russia  for  two  years ! — we  have  a  fierce  contest  about 
enlistments  in  violation  of  our  neutrality  laws,  and  at  the 
very  first  occasion  Russia  throws  her  weight  into  the  scale 
of  our  adversary,  and  enables  her  to  claim  to  be  backed 
by  all  Christendom!  He  made  many  eflbrts  at  excuse, 
but  said,  finally,  "What  could  we  do?"     "Pll  tell  you 


TO  JUDGE  JOEL  JONES.  33 

what  yon  could  and  what  you  ought  to  have  done,"  said 
I.  "  You  might  have  admitted  the  general  plausibility  of 
the  idea,  and  expressed  a  readiness  to  co-operate  in  abol- 
ishing privateering,  provided,  in  advance  of  any  com- 
bined declaration  on  the  subject,  the  assent  of  a// wmnYw/ie 
nations  be  obtained.  You  should  have  abstained  from 
an  unwillingness  to  exercise  a  species  of  moral  coercion 
over  Powers  not  represented  in  your  Conference.  In  that 
way,  without  naming  the  United  States,  you  would  not 
have  lent  yourself  to  putting  them  in  the  wrong."  The 
baron  was  quite  overthrown  by  the  suggestion,  and 
treated  it  as  unanswerable.  I  think  it  very  likely  that 
Mr.  Stoeckl  will  be  instructed  to  make  all  sorts  of  expla- 
nation. In  the  course  of  the  talk,  which  was  quite  pro- 
tracted, I  asked  him  his  opinion  about  our  points  of  differ- 
ence with  this  government.  "  Don't  be  worried,"  he  re- 
plied, "they  will  be  settled.  They  may  not  recall  Cramp- 
ton  ;  but  if  he  be  dismissed,  they  will  make  light  of  it,  or 
their  indignation  will  be  mildly  expressed  and  of  very 
short  duration.  No  ministry  would  last  a  month,  in  the 
present  condition  of  England,  that  should  quarrel  with 
the  United  States.  As  to  a  war  with  you,  they  dare  not 
attempt  it."  He  thinks  Count  Kreptovitch,  a  son-in-law 
of  jSTesselrode,  will  be  sent  to  this  Court  as  ambassador 
from  the  Czar. 

I  have  just  got  your  two  private  letters  of  the  20th  and 
25th  April,  and  cordially  thank  you  for  them.  You  are 
somewhat  more  costive  than  I  am,  and  therefore  every 
word  is  of  greater  value. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  12.-T0  JUDGE  JOEL  JONES. 

London,  May  9,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  find  private  correspondence  to  be  a 
luxury  very  difficult  to  enjoy  at  this  post.  The  perpetual 
stream  of  visitors  from  the  United  States,  the  exactions 
of  Court  ceremonials,  the  endless  series  of  entertainments 
and  hospitalities,  combine,  with  the  necessities  of  business 
and  the  despatches  to  Governor  Marcy  twice  a  week,  to  run 
me  fairly  out  of  all  time.     I  have  no  objection  to  the  hard- 


34  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

est  work,  but  I  would  really  delight  in  an  hour  or  two 
occasionally  for  private  and  personal  intercourse  with 
such  absent  friends  as  you.  That  I  should  have  been  able 
to  write  you  but  one  letter  since  I  came  here  is  a  conclu- 
sive proof  of  my  slavery.  At  this  moment  the  mail  for 
the  Liverpool  steamer  of  to-morrow  morning  is  making 
up,  and  I  scribble  under  whip  and  spur. 

I  cut  the  enclosed  paragraph  from  one  of  the  London 
newspapers.  It  is  probably  coined  in  the  mint  of  an  ad- 
versary who  had  his  own  purposes  in  view.  As  far  as  it 
refers  to  me,  it  is  without  the  shadow  of  foundation.  On 
its  topic,  I  have  no  correspondent  to  whom  I  could  or 
would  write  but  yourself.  The  Committee  of  which  you 
are  the  leading  member  have  that  matter  in  their  own 
hands,  and  I  do  not  intend  in  the  remotest  manner  to 
interfere  with  it. 

You  perceive  that  out  of  the  conferences  at  Paris,  and 
especially  out  of  the  alliance  of  France  and  England,  has 
emerged  a  more  formidable  league  of  sovereign  powers 
against  peoples  than  has  yet  been  witnessed  by  mod- 
ern times.  The  end  is  not  perceptible  at  first  glance ;  but 
I  am  much  mistaken  if  the  principle  of  rapid  decay  be 
not  seated  in  the  very  heart  of  that  league,  and  if  its  rot- 
ten fragments  be  not  shaken  to  the  earth  by  popular  con- 
vulsions, and  that  at  no  distant  da3\ 

Of  course  I  cannot  write  about  my  prospects  as  minis- 
ter to  any  one  extra  masnia  of  the  State  Department.  Let 
me,  however,  intimate  my  opinion  that  I  have  gone  far 
in  accomplishing  one  of  two  things — putting  our  country 
in  the  right,  if  we  are  obliged  to  quarrel,  or  leading  men's 
minds  to  a  purpose  and  tone  of  conciliation.  Governor 
Marcy  has  now  the  world  before  him,  and  with  Provi- 
dence as  his  guide  he  cannot  fail  to  achieve  a  great 
result. 

Always  truly  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  13.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  May  13,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — We  have  quite  a  difterence  of  opinion, 
in  private  circles  and  in  the  newspapers,  whether  it  be 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  35 

safer  to  illuminate  for  the  Peace  or  not  to  illuminate.  The 
ni2:ht  assicrned  is  the  29tli  instant.  Many  say  the  mob 
will  attack  the  non-illuminated;  but  others  allege  the 
Peace  to  be  so  unpopular  that  he  who  ventures  on  glori- 
fication will  be  in  danger.  The  diplomats,  who  care  only 
for  the  safety  of  their  windows,  are  puzzled  how  to  act. 
One  of  my  colleagues,  residing  opposite  me,  is  so  much 
of  a  courtier  that  he  is  bent  upon  a  great  blaze ;  while 
another,  who  adjpins  me,  looks  rather  glum  and  doubtful, 
and  talks  of  les  lampions  Math  distrustful  shakes  of  the 
head.  I  must  own  that  my  inclination  is  to  keep  dark, 
and  leave  tomfoolery  to  the  rest  of  the  world;  but  then, 
peace  is  per  se  a  good,  may  certainly  be  innocently  re- 
joiced over  without  becoming  a  party  to  it,  and  the  smash- 
ing of  panes  of  glass  by  a  crowd  around  one's  house,  if 
to  be  done  at  all,  is  to  be  preferred  as  against  the  spirit  of 
the  police,  rather  than  with  their  quasi  connivance.  If 
you  were  accessible  by  the  telegraphic  wire,  I  should,  as  I 
suppose  all  the  European  representatives  have  done  with 
their  courts,  ask  for  instructions,  and  abide  the  conse- 
quences. That  small  obstacle,  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  shields 
you  from  the  necessity  of  deciding  the  important  point. 

Now,  although  this  treatment  of  the  crisis  be  jest,  the 
very  doubt  as  to  the  course  safest  to  be  taken  speaks 
strongly  the  character  of  the  treaty  as  respects  England. 
It  has  passed  the  ordeal  of  Parliament,  though  with  some 
hard  hits.  The  abandonment  of  Schamyl  and  his  Cauca- 
sians to  their  fate,  the  forbearance  toward  Nicholaief,  the 
abolition  of  privateering,  the  surrender  of  established 
legal  rights  of  belligerents,  the  shameless  truckling  to  the 
indecent  attack  upon  the  freedom  of  the  Belgian  press, 
and,  after  all,  the  little  security  obtained  against  Russian 
ambition, — although  they  were  not  pressed  as  matters  to 
justify  opposition  to  the  address  of  the  Queen,  were,  nev- 
ertheless, put  in,  protesiando,  as  items  in  reserve  for  future 
attacks  upon  the  ministry. 

Lord  Palmerston,  just  at  this  moment,  seems  to  be  in 
as  victorious  an  attitude  as  any  British  premier  has  ever 
held.  He  has  baffled  the  combination  on  the  surrender 
of  Kars,  has  boldly  carried  the  peace  through,  has  vindi- 
cated the  protocols,  even  when  defying  Walewski's  ettbrt 
"to  gag  a  free  press,"  and  has  dexterously  managed  to 
postpone  our  American  differeuoea  to  a  distant  da}^     In 


.36  TO  MR.  MARCF 

the  mean  time,  he  sides  with  Sardinia  on  the  Italian  ques- 
tion, and  stands  by  Turkey  in  a  separate  convention  se- 
cretly made  between  her,  Austria,  France,  and  England, 
much  to  the  offence  of  Russia.  His  majorities  are  large, 
and  his  party  is  full  of  exultation.  Still,  there  is  that 
thorn  of  America  in  his  side — hoeret  lethalis — and  if  it  do 
not  bring  him  to  tlie  ground,  it  will  be  because  you  may 
come  to  his  relief,  or  he  may  suddenly,  by  the  indications 
in  France,  discover  the  expediency  of  greater  conciliation 
in  his  relations  with  us.  AH  men  of  opinions  worth  any- 
thing agree  in  saying — I  should  not  be  surprised  to  hear 
it  from  his  own  lips — that  a  conflict  with  the  United 
States  is  the  only  thing  he  could  not  stand  for  six  months, 
or  even  half  that  time.  His  power  is  immense,  but 
that  is  a  rock  on  which,  if  he  touch,  he  founders. 

I  have  carefully  watched,  from  day  to  day,  the  official 
distribution  of  the  recent  armada  off  Portsmouth,  and 
must  confess  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  detect  any  such 
disposition  of  the  force  as  would  warrant  anxiety.  If 
there  be  any  hostile  preparation  going  on,  it  is  most  suc- 
cessfully veiled.  Lord  Elgin  has  a  motion  in  -petto  re- 
specting the  troops  recently  sent  to  Canada ;  but  his  object, 
as  I  gather  from  himself,  is  not  so  much  to  complain  of 
what  has  been  done,  as  to  make  an  occasion  to  warn 
against  going  further,  so  as  to  arouse  our  susceptibilities 
and  jealousies.  I  feel  confident  that  the  result  of  the  ex- 
periment tried  a  year  ago,  of  ordering  a  squadron  ab- 
ruptly to  the  West,  was  not  such  as  will  encourage  its 
repetition.  The  ministry,  if  set  upon  quarrelling  with  us, 
and  I  am  yet  to  perceive  any  decidedly  amicable  disposi- 
tion, will  not  go  to  work  in  that  way,  but  will  coolly  strive 
to  put  us  in  the  wrong,  and  make  us  at  least  appear  to  be 
aggressive  enough  to  rouse  the  loyalty  and  passions  of 
their  people.  Lord  Elgin's  motion  will  come  up  soon 
after  the  liolidays,  say  about  the  20th  instant. 

The  special  instruction  to  ask  for  an  answer  to  your 
despatch  of  the  28th  December  came  too  kite.  I  had 
mooted  the  matter  with  Lord  C.  as  soon  as  he  reached 
the  Foreign  Office  from  Paris,  and  his  reply  will,  upon 
a  fair  calculation,  be  in  your  hands  the  day  after  to- 
morrow. I  hope  you  may  rest,  after  its  perusal,  for  a  week, 
and  give  my  letter  of  last  Saturday  a  chance  of  convey- 
ing a  hint  or  two  of  some  importance. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  37 

I  have  nothing  worthy  to  be  worked  up  into  a  formal 
despatch.  I  send  yon,  however,  a  parliamentary  docu- 
ment of  some  interest — "  Correspondence  respecting  the 
late  negotiation  with  Japan" — recently  laid  upon  tlie 
tables  of  the  two  Houses.  It  shows  a  neat  and  exact 
imitation  of  the  example  set  by  Commodore  Perry. 

You  introduced  to  me  citizen  *  *  *  *  Qf  Cali- 
fornia, and  of  course  he  was  cordially  welcomed.  With 
a  generous  ambition,  he  sought  the  eye  of  royalty,  and  I 
presented  him  at  the  Levee.  By  some  mistaken  move- 
ment of  her  arm,  the  Queen  led  him  to  kneel  and  kiss 
her  hand!  If  you  remember  him  you  will  smile.  Our 
democrats  make  pretty  good  courtiers,  for  they  are  gen- 
erally men  practically  of  the  world. 

Politics  at  home  look  to  be  in  a  fine  state  of  fermenta- 
tion ;  the  democracy,  sanguine  as  usual,  preparing  to  go 
it  blind.  Rest  assured  that  the  adversary's  fragments, 
which  appear  now  to  be  so  disjointed  and  broken,  will  at 
the  eleventh  hour  fly  together  and  form  a  powerful  whole. 
It  is  80  obviously  their  only  chance  that  I  cannot  presume 
them  silly  enough  to  overlook  it.  And  if  we  do  not,  at 
Cincinnati,  shun  the  loadstone  rock,  which  seems,  at  this 
distance,  to  be  attracting  all  kinds  of  floating  craft,  and 
to  be  drawing  out  the  bolts  and  rivets  of  our  party,  we 
shall  sink.  And  at  what  period  of  constitutional  history 
are  we  incurring  this  risk!  If  the  administration  are 
forced  to  back  down  on  the  great  Kansas  question,  and 

they  will  assuredly  be  so  if  gentlemen  like  Mr. , 

and  Mr. ,  and  Mr. are  to  attain  their  pur- 
pose, we  shall  have  a  restoration  of  the  ruinous  Monroe 
doctrine,  '■'•the  era  of  good  feeling,''  sapping  and  subverting 
every  honest  and  solid  principle  of  the  democratic  creed. 
It  really  "  behooves  you,  then,  to  apply  your  finest  art," 
*'7ie  qaui  detrimenti  capiat  respublica  F' 

I  hope  you  will  not  fail  to  write  me  precisely  the  wishes 
of  yourself  and  the  President  in  regard  to  my  course  of 
action,  should  you  dismiss  Mr.  Crampton,  and  I  be  dis- 
missed in  return.  Although  public  considerations  must 
not  bend  for  a  moment,  or  to  the  breadth  of  a  hair,  to 
considerations  of  personal  convenience,  yet,  when  they 
can  be  perfectly  harmonized,  attention  may  justly  be  paid 
to  both. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO   MR.  MARCY. 


No.  14-TO  ME.  MAEOY. 


London,  May  16,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — A  great  contest,  big  with  the  ultimate 
disruption  of  Church  and  State,  has  been  going  on  here 
for  some  time,  and  has,  to  the  surprise  of  almost  every- 
body, brought  Lord  Palmerston  plump  on  his  knees  be- 
fore the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  About  three  weeks 
ago,  Sir  Benjamin  Hall,  First  Commissioner  of  Works, 
Parks,  Palaces,  and  Public  Buildings,  after  obtaining  the 
sanction  of  the  Premier,  ordered  some  fine  military  bands 
to  play  for  an  hour  or  more  in  the  parks  on  tlie  after- 
noons of  Sunday.  The  music  attracted  immense  crowds. 
In  Regent's  Park,  close  by  me,  the  number  assembled, 
counted  officially  at  the  gates,  fell  little  short  of  100,000 
men,  women,  and  children,  on  a  single  occasion.  The 
Sabbatarians,  scandalized  and  alarmed,  rushed  to  the 
rescue.  All  the  newspapers  took  sides — some  in  favor  of 
amusing  the  toil-worn  populace  in  so  harmless  a  way, 
others  decrying  it  as  the  prolific  source  of  demoralization 
and  turbulence.  At  last  the  pillars  of  the  Church  are 
shaken  into  action.  The  ArchlDishop  writes  to  Lord  Pal- 
merston. Lord  P.  sulks,  reiterates  his  liberal  opinion 
and  advice  on  the  matter,  and  formally  abates  the  music. 
A  slight  apprehension  is  entertained  that  the  disappointed, 
on  Sunday  next,  the  day  after  to-morrow,  will  show  their 
spunk  and  vexation  by  some  outbreaks.  ISTo  fear  of  that 
at  the  present  epoch.  John  Bull  is  as  effectually  nozzled, 
and  foot-tied,  under  the  auspices  of  police,  Horse  Guards, 
and  Life  Guards,  as  his  majestic  representation,  the  Lion, 
in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  is  caged  in  iron. 

Further  reflection  upon  Lord  Clarendon's  reply  to  your 
letter  of  the  28th  December  last  has  settled  down  into  a 
very  general  opinion  that  the  President  will  dismiss  Mr. 
Crampton  as  soon  as  you  receive  it.  This  impression  is 
strengthened  by  the  intercepted  correspondence  of  the 
Foreign  Office  witli  the  Costa  Picans — a  correspondence, 
to  be  sure,  which  we  have  very  little  to  do  with,  but  which 
shows  Lord  C.'s  meddlesome  and  inimical  spirit  and  pol- 
icy to  be  rather  worse  than  had  been  supposed  in  relation 
to  Central  America.     Had  the  President  recognized  the 


TO  MR.  J.  P.  H.  39 

existing  government  in  ISTicaragna  I  would  have  been 
disposed  to  ask  his  lordship  whether  these  intercepted 
letters  were  genuine,  and  what  he  meant  by  lending  arms 
against  an  independent  State  on  the  Isthmus.  Such  a 
question  would  hardly  need  a  reply,  and  yet  his  lordship 
would  be  put  to  his  trumps  in  making  a  civil  and  honest 
answer.  As  it  is,  however,  I  suppose  we  can't  find  fault 
with  his  helping  a  friendly  power  to  resist  a  filibuster.  I 
am  not  sure  that  you  have  not  been  too  scrupulous  and 
cautious  in  your  policy  as  to  Walker.  At  all  events,  I 
hope  that  these  meddling  manifestations  from  this  quar- 
ter may  be  made  the  avowed  platform  of  a  decisive  move- 
ment on  our  part.  We  should  displace  this  entering 
wedge  by  a  quick  and  well-aimed  stroke. 

By  the  time  you  get  this  you  will  be  in  the  midst  of 
the  agitation  of  the  Cincinnati  Convention — from  which 
I  wish  ourselves  a  safe  deliverance. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  15 -TO  ME.  J.  P.  H. 

London,  May  16,  1856. 

My  dear  H., — Did  I  not  know  your  friendship,  as  well 
as  your  constant  engagements,  I  should  take  it  for  granted 
that  you  had  finally  given  me  up  as  one  of  the  lost.  Are 
you  always  too  busy  to  write  letters  ? 

We  have  got  into  a  quiet,  comfortable  house  in  Portland 
Place,  and  we  are  gradually  introducing  ourselves  to  the 
mysteries  of  London  housekeeping.  The  system  is  sim- 
ple enough,  as  it  devolves  the  whole  trouble  upon  ser- 
vants, allowed  to  expend  what  they  think  necessary,  and 
expected  to  account  at  the  expiration  of  every  week. 
Simple,  certainly;  but  as  to  economy,  quite  another 
thing. 

I  am  kept  hard  at  work  in  the  legation  in  a  variety  of 
ways ;  but  never  having  contracted  a  distaste  for  labor,  I 
get  along  tolerably  well.  Phil  is  indefatigable  and  always 
at  hand. 

Politics  are  anything  but  satisfactory.  I  found  on  my 
arrival  a  fixed  anti-American  set  in  the  ministerial  and 


40  TO  MR.  J.  Y.  MASON. 

social  classes,  and  entered  upon  a  determination  to  break 
that  down,  first,  by  frankness  and  conciliation,  if  they 
would  answer,  if  not,  then,  second,  by  open  defiance. 
Our  countrymen  here  tell  me  that  my  success  has  been 
complete: — but  let  us  wait  a  little  longer  before  too  con- 
fident a  conclusion.  To  go  to  war  with  us  is  an  extrava- 
gance which  I  am  certain  would  upset  any  ministry  in 
less  than  six  months,  if  not  on  the  instant;  but  I  doubt 
much  their  disposition  to  forego  their  great  luxury  of 
treating  us  with  insult  and  contumely.  Their  hospitality 
and  kindness  to  me  and  my  family  have  certainly  been 
unmeasured;  but  the  region  of  national  relations  and 
policy  is  widely  separated  from  that  of  mere  personal  in- 
tercourse. Should  Mr.  Crampton  be  dismissed  by  Gov. 
Marcy  I  think  we  may  look  out  for  a  series  of  retaUatory 
and  recriminating  acts  between  the  two  countries,  which 
must  lead,  at  no  distant  day,  to  the  final  trial  of  strength. 
When  we  are  driven  to  that,  we  must  throw  the  scabbard 
away,  and  tie  the  hilt  to  the  hand. 

The  ladies  up  stairs  are  all  well,  and  not  yet  tired,  as  I 
am  heartily,  of  the  gaieties  of  the  great  London  season. 
I  wish  you  would  bring  two  or  three  of  your  circle  over, 
and  give  them  a  chance  while  I  am  here  (not  long,  mark 
that!)  to  see  the  Court  of  Queen  Victoria,  as  splendid 
now  as  it  ever  has  been  or  ever  will  be.  All  this  magnifi- 
cence of  ceremonial  and  pretension  is  fast  being  under- 
mined, even  among  the  proudest  peers,  by  our  republican 
principles  accompanied  by  our  wonderful  prosperity;  and 
before  any  one  of  your  children  reaches  fifty,  it  will  have 
vanished,  like  the  hues  of  a  rainbow,  forever.  Let  them 
see  it  before  it  fades  away. 

Many  affectionate  remembrances  to  yours. 

Ever  truly  and  faithfully. 


No.  16 -TO  MK.  J.  T.  MASON. 

London,  May  24,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  had  the  enclosed  letter  by  me 
for  some  time,  undetermined  what  direction  to  give  it, 
and  now  it  occurs  to  me  that  I  may  enclose  it  to  you,  and 


TO  JUDGE  KANE.  41 

beg  you  to  address  it  for  me  to  wherever  the  Commodore 
may  be.  I  have  put  on  an  extra  envelope  and  leave  it 
unsealed,  so  that  you  can  perceive  its  subject  is  a  purely 
private  enquir^j;;,  having  no  connection  with  public  topics. 
The  matter  on  which  we  have  heretofore  exchanged 
views  is  not  yet  sufficiently  developed  to  be  decided  upon 
finally  one  way  or  the  other.  I  have  been  unable,  though 
always  on  the  watch  since  the  great  review  of  Portsmouth, 
to  perceive  any  such  naval  distribution  as  would  warrant 
anxiety.  As,  however,  I  have  reason  to  expect,  in  the 
course  of  the  coming  three  weeks,  something  definite 
from  Washington  in  reference  to  the  Earl  of  Chirendon's 
last  communication  on  the  recruitment  question  (a  com- 
munication, bj'-the-by,  of  a  tone  so  remarkably  calm  and 
conciliatory  that  it  would  have  had  a  strong  efi-'ect  to- 
wards entire  adjustment  had  not  its  writer,  heedlessly, 
and  without  some  disclaimer  of  oflicial  adoption,  con- 
nected with  it  a  series  of  wantonly  vituperative  affidavits), 
and  therefore  think  it  safest  to  let  things  remain  as  they 
are  for  a  month  longer. 

Always  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  17-TO  JUDGE  KANE. 

LoxDON ,  May  27,  1856. 

!My  dear  Judge, — It  gave  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  at- 
tend the  Koyal  Geographical  Society  yesterday.  Their 
Gold  Meda'l,  a  very  beautiful  piece  of  art  by-the-bj-,  which 
I  received  on  behalf  of  the  Doctor,  was  accompanied  by 
a  handsome  notice  from  the  President,  Admiral  Beechey. 
My  short  reply  I  have  written  out  for  the  especial  benefit 
of  my  valued  friend,  Mrs.  Kane,  and  take  the  liberty  to 
enclose  it.  As  no  important  business  closes  in  London 
without  a  dinner,  and  a  series  of  table-speeches,  the 
Doctor  was  toasted,  and,  as  the  guardian  of  his  fiime  for  the 
nonce,  I  addressed  about  200  philosophers  and  explorers 
with  a  review  of  his  whole  life.  He  was  cheered  from 
beginning  to  end.  The  medal  is  transmitted  in  a  small 
screwed  box  to  the  Department  of  State  by  my  despatch 
bag.     Let  me  hear  of  its  safe  arrival. 

VOL.  I. — 4 


42  TO    THE  BISHOP  OF  OXFORD. 

I  suppose  all  this  should  take  the  appearance  of  stately 
form,  but  I  am  bound  to  fulfil  other  engagements,  and 
really  must  throw  myself  upon  the  indulgence  of  your- 
self and  the  Doctor.     Mr,  Marcy  waits  for  me. 

My  warm  regards  to  all  the  family. 

Ever  truly  yrs. 


No.  18.-T0  THE  BISHOP  OF  OXFOKD. 

24  Portland  Place,  May  28,  1856. 

My  dear  Lord, — No  one  has  yet,  to  my  knowledge, 
arrived  from  the  United  States  to  whom  I  could  venture 
to  refer  you  as  a  person  fully  and  accurately  informed  on 
the  topic  of  the  note  I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive 
from  your  Grace  to-day.  Nor  can  I  hope  to  meet  one  so 
early  as  by  Friday  next. 

The  comparatively  private  mode  of  inflicting  capital 
punishment  has  not  been  long  practised,  and  has  probably 
not  attracted  the  general  and  careful  attention  to  which 
it  is  entitled.  Opinions  as  to  its  efl'ects  on  the  people, 
contrasted  with  the  effects  of  the  old  public  executions, 
may  not  be  uniform ;  but  I  am  disposed  to  think  that 
experience  is  fast  dispelling  the  jealousies  and  doubts 
which  were  felt  when  the  change  was  introduced.  Of 
course  this  remark  refers  exclusively  to  n\\  own  country, 
and  it  is  not  made  with  the  confidence  which  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  facts  and  a  close  investigation  might  in- 
spire. 

If  I  am  fortunate  enough  to  meet  a  fellow-countrj^man 
on  whom,  in  regard  to  this  enquiry,  perfect  reliance  can 
be  placed,  I  will  hasten  to  apprise  you ;  or,  if  it  be  likely 
that  your  movement  may  be  protracted  so  long  as  to 
enable  me  to  write  home,  and  receive  back  the  views  of 
one  or  two  gentlemen  whom  I  have  in  my  eye,  I  will  un- 
dertake to  do  80  with  great  pleasure. 

With  sincere  respect,  I  am,  truly  yrs. 


TO  MR,  E.  G.  SQUIER.  43 


No.  19.-T0  ME.  J.  T.  MASON. 

(Private.)  Legation  of  the  Uxited  States. 

London,  May  31,  1856. 

giR^ — Incidents  affecting  the  relations  between  this 
country  and  the  United  States  are  crowding  so  rapidly 
upon  us  that  too  much  vigilance  and  precaution  cannot 
be  exercised  to  ward  off  or  to  mitigate  the  consequences 
of  an  explosion  which  may  possibly  happen  at  any 
moment. 

You  will  therefore  excuse  me  for  suggesting  the  expe- 
diency of  warning  the  Commander  of  our  Mediterranean 
Squadron  to  be,  at  this  juncture,  extremely  careful  not 
to  put  himself  in  a  situation  open  to  surprise,  and  to  keep 
himself  and  his  force  ready  for  any  sudden  emergency. 
The  clouds  which  now  threaten  may  blow  over;  but  as 
experience  has  not  taught  us  to  rely  upon  the  plausible 
professions  of  British  statesmen,  unconfirmed  by  ascer- 
tained facts,  I  am  anxious  to  put  every  one  on  guard. 
The  detection  of  the  correspondence  with  Costa  Rica,  the 
intermeddling  of  Ca5)t.  Tarleton  with  our  steamer,  the 
Orizaba,  the  reception  by  the  government  of  the  new 
minister.  Padre  Vigil,  from  Nicaragua,  and  the  over- 
whelming denial  given  by  Mr.  Clayton  to  one  of  Mr. 
Crampton's  boldest  assertions,  combined  with  the  daily 
expectation  of  hearing  that  this  latter  gentleman  has 
been  dismissed,  maintain  the  public  pulse  at  fever  heat, 
which  may  precipitate  secret  action. 

I  am,  most  respectfully,  very  truly  yrs. 


No.  20.-T0  ME.  E.  G-.  SQUIEE. 

{Private.)  London,  June  1,  1856. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  28th  May,  '56,  did  not 
reach  me  until  the  30th,  after  I  had  seen  Mr.  Brown,  and 
requested  him  to  convey  to  you  my  sentiments. 

I  thank  you  for  the  clear  and  full  statement  you  have 
given  me  of  your  position  and  views. 


44  TO  MR.  E.  G.  SQUIER. 

It  lias,  no  doubt,  occurred  to  you  that  our  government 
cannot,  especially  at  this  juncture,  participate  in  any 
negotiation  having  for  its  object  a  new  disposition  of 
islands  over  which  they  can  pretend  to  claim  no  right  of 
sovereignty  whatever.  The  group,  headed  by  Ruatan,  is 
really  part  of  Honduras,  but  is  occupied  and  colonized 
by  Great  Britain.  The  question  is,  therefore,  to  be  ad- 
justed by  those  two  governments  exclusively.  If  the 
latter  can  be  persnaded  by  Seilor  Herran  to  do  what  is 
just  and  restore  the  islands  unconditionally  to  Honduras, 
such  a  course  will  be  cordially  approved  by  the  United 
States — iirst,  as  a  measure  of  right;  second,  as  a  measure 
favorable  to  the  independence  of  their  own  commerce  and 
intercourse;  and  third,  as  a  measure  removing  practically 
one  of  the  leading  causes  of  difficulty  with  this  country. 

If,  however,  the  restitution  cannot  be  eliected,  except 
upon  terms  or  stipulations  which  would  divest  it  of  sub- 
stantial and  permanent  character,  leaving  the  islands 
subject  in  the  remotest  degree  to  English  influence  or 
law,  and  ready  to  relapse  at  a  more  prosperous  moment 
into  their  present  colonial  dependence,  the  United  States 
could  not  fail  to  regard  it  with  disfavor — iirst,  as  a  source 
of  future  quarrel  between  Honduras  and  Great  Britain; 
second,  as  on  the  part  of  the  latter  only  a  plausible  evasion 
of  an  exciting  issue;  and  third,  as  legalizing,  without  sub- 
stantially disarming,  the  actual  usurpation. 

I  do  not  think  that  the  government  at  Washington 
would  find  anything  in  tlie  thi'ee  conditions  you  have 
enumerated  at  all  questionable;  but  there  is  something 
in  your  suggestion  about  admitting  the  inhabitants  to  the 
enjoyment  of  special  municipal  rights  which  savors  of 
keeping  up  the  distinction  between  the  English  citizens 
and  the  other  citizens  of  Honduras,  and  so  facilitating 
the  future  relapse  to  which  I  have  adverted.  .  To  this  the 
President  would  probably  seriously  object.  Perhaps  you 
have  stated  it  somewhat  vaguely ;  and,  indeed,  until  the 
"special  municipal  rights"  are  distinctly  enumerated,  I 
do  not  wish  to  hazard  a  positive  opinion. 

The  moment  is  perhaps  unfavorable  to  action.  The 
two  nations  are  much  excited  by  the  recent  events,  and 
are  watching  each  other  with  extreme  jealousy.  It  is  not 
merely  impossible  for  me  to  leave  London  for  an  hour, 
but  I  should  fear  that  my  meeting  Messrs.  Herran  and 


TO  MR.  31  ARC Y.  45 

Alvarado  just  now  anywhere  would  excite  suspicions  and 
impede  their  progress.  In  a  short  time  the  cloud  will 
either  disappear  or  burst. 

I  am  very  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  21.-T0  ME.  D. 

London,  June  6,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — A  watchful  solicitude  induces  me  to 
send  you  the  enclosed  slip  from  one  of  the  newspapers. 

My  best  regards  wait  on  you  and  yours.  If  the  Times 
and  the  Post  are  reliable  organs,  I  shall  probably  quit 
England  soon,  wezjer  to  return;  an  uudiscriminating  retalia- 
tion amounts  to  an  original  insult,  and  will  require  many 
years  to  be  forgotten.  It  will  not  surprise  me  if  I  should 
turn  out  to  be  the  last  minister  from  the  United  States  to 
the  British  Court,  and  that  will  certainly  be  fame  if  it  be 
not  honor. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  22.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  June  6,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  nothing  worthy  of  a  formal  de- 
spatch by  the  steamer  of  to-morrow. 

The  report  of  Captain  Tarleton  on  the  affair  of  the 
Orizaba  has  not  yet  been  received.  I  shall  wait  a  day  or 
two  longer,  and  if  I  do  not  get  from  the  F.  O.  by  that  time 
the  copy  I  expect,  the  case  of  Captain  Tinklepaugh  will 
be  spread  out  in  writing,  as  it  was  in  conversation,  and 
definite  replies  be  asked  to  definite  interrogatories. 

Lord  Palmerston  said  last  evening  in  the  House  of 
Commons  that  thisgovernment  had  received  indirect  mi'ov- 
mation  of  Mr.  Crampton's  having  been  dismissed.  This 
information,  if  your  letter  of  the  23d  May  be,  as  it  of 
course  must  be,  accurate,  cannot  be  well  founded.  Ko 
later  intelligence  than  that  of  the  Atlantic,  which  reached 


46  TO   MR.  MARCr. 

here  on  the  4th  hist.,  after  leaving  New  York  on  the  24th 
May,  has  heen  received.  The  recognition  of  Vigil  is  fast 
passing  into  the  same  category  of  permanent,  but  incur- 
able, and  therefore  to  be  tolerated,  causes  of  reproach  to 
our  government  and  people  as  the  annexation  of  Texas, 
the  displacement  of  the  poor  Indians,  or  the  constitutional 
recognition  of  Slavery.  There  is  no  use  in  crj^ing  over 
spilt  milk;  the  thing  is  done,  cannot  be  undone,  can  in 
fact  do  no  harm,  and  may  as  well  be  forgotten,  except  so 
far  as  it  serves  the  purpose  of  an  occasional  fling  at  the 
mobocracy  of  America. 

If  mischief  grow  at  all  out  of  Vigil's  reception,  rest  as- 
sured it  will  be  quickened  by  compost  from  France.  The  • 
rumored  Spanish  movement  against  Mexico — a  move- 
ment which  should  put  General  Gadsden  and  our  Home 
Squadron  on  the  alert — involves  an  ulterior  purpose  of 
Louis  Napoleon's  : — either  to  send  a  scion  of  his  imperial 
house  to  the  hall  of  the  Montezumas,  or  to  extirpate 
"Walker,  or  so  to  involve  Spain  and  Mexico  in  war  as  to 
furnish  to  the  former  a  plausible  excuse  for  transferring 
Cuba  to  England.  I  am  inclined  to  adopt  the  last  hy- 
pothesis. Lord  Palmerston,  having  served  the  purpose 
of  Louis  Napoleon  for  some  months  back,  is  requiring  a 
reciprocation,  and  Spain  is  the  cat's-paw  which  the  Em- 
peror puts  in  to  stir  the  fire. 

My  uncertain  position  is  of  course  not  without  its  in- 
conveniences, and  I  am  now  and  then  tempted  to  exclude 
myself  altogether  from  the  world,  until  the  world  lets  me 
know  definitely  whether  I  am  to  be  decapitated  or  let  go 
without  day.  The  measure  of  dismissing  me,  as  m  pm 
delicto  with  that  honorable  gentleman,  Mr.  Crampton, 
savors  ofanundiscriminatingvindictiveness  which  strongly 
marks  an  original  insult.  Indeed,  I  am  disposed  to  think 
that  the  dignity  of  our  country  will  make  it  necessary  so  to 
regard  that  measure,  if  it  be  resorted  to,  and  that,  without 
the  amplest  apology,  we  ought  never  to  permit  an  Ameri- 
can minister,  or  diplomatic  agent  of  any  sort,  even  a  con- 
sul, to  shew  himself  in  her  Majesty's  dominions.  My  long- 
ing for  historical  fame  would  certainly  be  satiated  if  it 
were  to  turn  out  that  I  am  to  be  the  last  of  our  ministers 
at  this  Court.  As  it  could  not  be  ascribed  to  any  fault  of 
mine,  and  would  unerringly  indicate  the  moment  at  which 
the  doctrine  of  delenda  est   Carthago  began  its  practical 


TO    COL.  PEREZEL.  47 

operation,  I  should  be  borne  clown  to  future  ages  identi- 
fied with  the  commencement  of  a  great  period.  Ultimas 
JRomanorum  is  better  than  merel}'  Consul  or  even  Imperator. 

The  dread  of  a  war  with  the  United  States  is  very  gen- 
eral; and  the  two  s:;reat  interests,  manufacturing  and  mer- 
cantile,  are  beginning  to  bestir  themselves  to  prevent  it  if 
they  can.  I  do  not  rely  so  much  upon  the  parliamentary 
movements  of  the  opposition  as  upon  violent  agitation  in 
these  interests.  The  ministerial  majority  is  too  great  and 
too  mercenary  to  be  in  any  danger  of  defeat,  until  terrified 
by  the  clamor  of  the  constituencies.  That  can  scarcely 
be  brought  to  bear  upon  them  until  after  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  has  tried  their  mettle,  and  forced  them,  as  he  has 
already  once  done  since  I  have  been  here,  to  stick  to  him 
and  brave  the  storm.  My  conviction,  however,  is  firmer 
than  ever,  that  if  he  advances  any  farther  on  the  road  to 
a  quarrel  with  us,  he  will  suddenly  close  his  administra- 
tion. 

Pray  pardon  me  if  I  request  you  to  let  the  President 
know  that  I  give  my  adhesion  to  his  reception  of  Yigil,as 
indeed  I  believe  I  did  in  one  of  my  former  letters. 

Always  very  truly  yrs. 


No.  23.-T0  OOL.  PEEEZEL. 

LoNDO^r,  June  7,  1856. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  4th  inst.,  requesting  a 
passport  from  this  legation  for  your  wife,  on  a  visit  to 
Hungary,  and  one  for  yourself  enabling  you  to  accompany 
her  to  France,  has  been  received.  The  circumstances  of 
your  case  are  such  as  awaken  my  warmest  sympathy,  and 
I  sincerely  wish  it  was  in  my  power  to  send  the  documents 
you  so  urgently  desire.  But  I  am  without  discretion,  and 
under  explicit  instructions  from  my  government  on  the 
subject.  You  are  not  a  citizen  of  the  United  States,  and 
I  am  expressly  prohibited  granting  a  passport  to  any  but 
a  citizen.  The  declaration  of  your  intention  to  become  a 
citizen  would  avail  you  much  while  remaining  in  the 
United  States,  but  abroad  its  efiicacy  is  not  recognized.  I 
entertain  no  manner  of  doubt  as  to  your  character  and 


48  TO  LORD  ABERDEEN. 

merits,  and  would  cheerfully  rely  upon  your  assurances 
of  discretion  and  care; — but  I  cannot  break  through  a 
rule  positively  prescribed. 

Enclosed  I  return  to  you  the  introductory  note  of  Mr. 
Sedgwick,  and  the  certificate  of  Mr.  Henry  Ward  Beecher. 

I  am  very  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  24.-T0  MR.  MAECY. 

London,  June  10,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Fortified  by  the  mail  of  the  Asia,  I  feel 
strong  hopes  of  bringing  to  a  close  the  bickerings  of  the 
two  countries.  The  sentiment  condemnatory  of  Mr. 
Crampton  augments  in  force  every  day,  and  is  almost  as 
general  in  this  as  in  our  own  country.  The  programme 
of  your  course  has  been,  in  conversation,  anticipated  by 
me,  and  every  reflecting  mind  accepted  it  as  a  desirable 
termination  to  the  afi:air.  I  do  not  think  the  ministry 
will  make  further  stand  and  hazard  a  war,  in  defence  of 
a  person  now  proved  so  unworthy.  If  they  do,  Parlia- 
ment will  drive  them  from  their  places. 

Should  this  government,  contrary  to  my  yreseiit  ex- 
pectations, retaliate  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Crampton  by 
mine,  it  is  probable  that  I  shall  immediately  quit  Lon- 
don Avith  my  family,  and  fix  myself  within  a  promptly 
accessible  distance  from  our  legation  at  Paris,  in  rural 
and  private  quarters.  You  have  made  no  disposition  to 
relieve  me  from  the  necessary  expense  of  this  movement, 
and,  if  it  has  to  be  made,  I  shall  be  driven  to  borrowing 
for  the  first  time  in  ray  life:  a  consequence  of  no  outfit. 
My  time  is  up. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  25.-T0  LORD  ABERDEEN. 

London,  June  11,  1856. 

My  dear  Lord  Aberdeen, — Agreeably  to  my  promise 
I  now  have  to  inform  you  that  Mr.  Crampton  was  sent 


^.  TO  SIR  H.  BULWER.  49 

his  passports  by  the  President,  and  the  exequaturs  of  the 
three  consuls  were  recalled ;  but  the  reasons  for  doing 
this  are  set  forth  in  a  despatch  addressed  to  me,  which  I 
propose  to  read  in  the  course  of  the  day  to  Lord  Claren- 
don. The  despatch  is  in  terms  and  tone  of  a  most  con- 
ciliatory character;  accepts  frankly  and  conclusively  the 
assurances  of  Lord  Clarendon's  last  letter,  so  far  as  her 
Majesty's  government  is  concerned;  but  expresses  an  un- 
changed conviction  as  to  the  personal  misconduct  of  Mr. 
Crampton  and  his  coadjutors,  who  have,  by  disregarding 
the  instructions  sent  them,  and  by  continuing,  even  up  to 
January  last,  to  act  in  violation  of  our  laws,  and  by  mis- 
representing the  conduct  of  our  public  functionaries  to 
the  government  here,  embroiled  the  two  countries,  and 
made  themselves  objectionable  residents  in  the  United 
States.  The  despatch  is  accompanied  by  a  mass  of  fresh 
evidence,  chiefly  from  the  very  witnesses  whose  athdavits 
were  appended  to  Lord  Clarendon's  communication  of 
the  30th  of  April. 

My  only  purpose  is  to  describe  the  features  of  the  de- 
spatch I  have  received,  not  to  make  a  single  comment. 
Should  there,  in  your  lordship's  opinion,  be  no  indelicacy 
in  my  doing  so,  it  will  aiibrd  me  pleasure  to  submit  the 
paper  to  your  own  perusal. 

With  the  most  cordial  respect, 

I  remain  very  sincerely  yrs. 


'     No.  26 -TO  SIR  H.  BULWER. 

London,  June  15,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir  Henry, — Your  note  from  Brighton  was 
really  very  agreeable  to  me  as  proof  of  regard,  but  in  no 
respect  was  it  at  all  necessary  as  explanatory  of  the  cir- 
cumstance to  which  it  refers.  My  amiable  countryman, 
Mr.  Peabody,  omitted  to  look  at  the  thing  on  both  sides; 
and  while  he  was  anxious  that  the  toast  should  come  from 
the  person  most  acceptable  to  me,  he  forgot  that  it  could 
not  but  be  personally  embarrassing  to  you.  It  would  be 
a  wretched  sort  of  life,  this  of  ours,  if  such  a  long-con- 
tinued and  kindly  intercourse  as  yours  and  Mr.  Crampton 


50  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

could  be  coolly  sacrificed  to  a  table  compliment  to  another. 
Even  my  comparatively  slight  acquaintance  with  him 
suggests  to  me  that  I  shall  undergo,  when  meeting  him, 
an  unpleasant  struggle  between  official  decorum  and  in- 
dividual feeling. 

Pray  be  assured  that  I  appreciate  and  sincerely  applaud 
what  you-  did.  I  place  a  much  higher  value  upon  the 
note  you  have  written  me  than  upon  any  specimen  of 
formal  eloquence  (though  aware  of  your  power)  with 
which  you  could  possibly  have  addressed  Mr.  Peabody's 
guests. 

I  am,  very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  27.-T0  MK.  MAEOY. 

London,  June  17,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Hermann  leaves  Southampton  to- 
morrow, but  she  has  so  little  repute  that  I  shall  do  no 
more  than  write  this  short  note  by  her. 

Everything  since  I  communicated  your  two  last  de- 
spatches to  Lord  Clarendon  has  worked  to  a  charm.  The 
public  excitement  augmented  every  hour.  The  oppo- 
sition in  Parliament  took  an  attitude  not  to  be  mistaken, 
and  on  Friday  last,  headed  by  Lord  John  Russell,  opened 
their  battery.  Yesterday  Lord  John  put  his  questions  to 
the  Premier  in  a  handsome  and  impressive  speech,  and 
Lord  Palmerston  announced  formally  the  determination 
of  the  cabinet,  "  not  to  terminate  their  present  amicable 
relations  with  Mr.  Dallas."  The  breakers  are  avoided; 
the  legation  is  in  deep  water  again ;  the  Crampton  squall 
has  passed  over,  rather  clearing  the  sky  than  otherwise; 
and  there  is  bright  promise  of  a  goodly  day  to-morrow. 
No  time  shall  be  lost  to  improve  the  returning  swell  of 
kindly  feeling.  It  is  not  impossible  that  prompt  nego- 
tiation may  put  an  end  to  all  controversy  about  the 
treaty.  If  not,  and  we  resort  to  arbitration,  let  me  know 
your  preferences  and  be  prepared. 

The  war,  as  between  the  parliamentary  parties,  will 
continue ;  and  Lord  Derby  has  threatened  a  fierce  over- 
haulino;  of  the    ministerial  conduct  in  the  recruitment 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  51 

business.     But  this  last  feat  of  Lord  Palmerston  secures 
his  position. 

Our  countrymen  here  are  in  great  exultation,  and  lavish 
upon  "  Old  Marcy"  eulogies  which  my  jealousy  forbids  me 
to  repeat. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  28.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  June  24,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  as  yet  nothing  from  the  Foreign 
Oflice  for  a  despatch.  The  replies  to  your  letters  on  Cen- 
tral America  and  recruitment  seem  to  require  great  care 
and  elaboration.  Much  effort  and  skill  are  certainly 
necessary  to  steer  through  the  straits  in  which  the  min- 
istry find  themselves.  The  Opposition  are  resolved  to 
hold  them  to  their  responsibility,  and  nothing  but  the 
highest  exercise  of  the  imperturbable  temper,  adroitness, 
and  ability  of  Lord  Palmerston  can  save  them.  In  my 
opinion,  however,  he  will  prove  himself  equal  to  the  task. 
What  may  be  the  tone  and  purport  of  the  forthcoming 
answers  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture;  but  they  cannot 
incur  the  extreme  hazard  of  continuing,  on  either  ques- 
tion, the  war  of  words  which  has  already  so  nearly  ruined 
them;  such  a  course  will  inflame  their  adversaries  and 
produce  a  reaction  of  panic.  If  they  are  calm  and  mod- 
erate, no  matter  how  strongly  tinctured  with  self-esteem, 
they  will  pass  current,  dispel  the  existing  mortification, 
and  disarm  many  who  only  insist  upon  no  further  provo- 
cation to  the  United  States.  A  vote  in  either  House  in 
such  a  case  would  probably  be  in  favor  of  government. 

I  constantly  hear  your  two  despatches  praised,  and 
cannot  help  thinking  that  they  are  producing  on  the  gen- 
eral public  an  impression  of  our  having  been  right,  and 
the  ministry  wrong  from  the  beginning.  Even  the  news- 
papers, the  Times  and  the  Post,  are  slowly  but  obviously 
retreating  from  the  positions  they  have  heretofore  so 
audaciously  maintained.  My  colleagues  of  the  diplo- 
matic corps,  who  unanimously  foretold  my  dismissal, 
chuckle  over  what  they  regard  as  the  discomfiture  of  Pal- 


62  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

merston,  and  give  me,  en  imssayit,  an  extra  smile  and 
squeeze  of  the  hand.  I  could  entertain  and  perhaps  sur- 
prise jou  with  particulars  of  a  similar  spirit  in  other  quar- 
ters; but  there  are  spheres  as  to  which  yjen  and  ink  are 
indiscreet  agents  of  communication. 

Messrs.  Herran  and  Alvarado  are  now  here.  The  former 
asked  this  morning  by  note  an  interview  with  Lord 
Clarendon.  They  both,  with  Mr.  Squier,  called  on  me 
yesterday.  We  conversed  freely,  but  agreed  that,  before 
going  formally  into  business,  it  would  be  prudent  on  all 
sides  to  await  the  answers  preparing  to  your  despatches, 
as  some  clew  to  the  most  politic  and  promising  mode  of 
proceeding  might  be  derived  from  them,  and  we  should, 
at  all  events,  better  understand  the  dispositions  of  the 
British  government.  These  answers,  you  must  recollect, 
will  be  put,  iii  print,  on  the  tables  of  the  two  Houses  of 
Parliament,  as  soon  as  they  reach  the  American  Lega- 
tion. I  suppose  they  will  come  to  me,  as  Mr.  Crampton's 
passports  came  to  him,  after  the  steamer  of  to-morrow  has 
sailed. 

I  enclose,  as  worthy  a  moment's  conference  with  Mr. 
Dobbin,  two  notes,  one  from  Mr.  Hawthorne  to  me,  and 
the  other  from  Mr.  James  Rae  to  Mr.  Hawthorne.  The 
quadrant  of  Paul  Jones  ought  certainly  to  be  among  other 
Revolutionary  relics  in  the  ]^avy  Department,  and  it 
would  give  me  pleasure  to  secure  it.  Should  you  gen- 
tlemen agree  with  me,  let  me  be  duly  authorized  to  pur- 
chase, at  a  reasonable  price,  on  proof  of  its  identity,  and 
give  orders  how  to  pay. 

The  Italian  question,  you  will  have  noticed,  is  fast 
ripening  to  the  dropping  point.  One  of  two  things  must 
take  phice,  and  that  speedily,  or  a  popular  rise  will 
occur: — either  Austria  must  be  allowed  to  repress  with 
her  iron  squadrons,  or  vast  reforms  must  be  inaugurated 
under  the  auspices  of  Sardinia  directly,  and  of  France  and 
England  indirectly.  Manin  eclipses,  at  least  for  the  time, 
Mazzini  (who,  by-the-b}^,  meditates  retirement  in  Amer- 
ica) in  boldness  and  prudence;  and  the  liberal  Whig 
Cabinet  of  St.  James  are  intensely  on  the  qui  vive.  His- 
tory, a  half  century  hence,  may  possibly  attribute  the 
recent  forbearance  of  Lord  Palmerston,  under  an  indig- 
nity from  the  United  States,  to  his  forecasting  prepara- 
tions in  favor  of  Italian  unity. 


TO  MR.  M.  31.  53 

Our  nomination  for  the  next  Presidential  term  is  rather 
favorably  commented  upon  here.  It  is  supposed  to  be 
ans[)icious  of  external  tranquillity.  But  when  I  express 
the  opinion  that  its  success  is  certain,  they  treat  me  with 
an  incredulous  smile,  being  assured  by  their  wise  corre- 
spondents and  their  equally  wise  newspapers  that  Mr. 
Fillmore's  election  by  the  House  is  far  more  likely.  Nous 
verrons. 

Our  countrymen  are  prodigious  travellers.  Every 
steamer  comes  loaded  with  them,  on  their  way  iirst  to 
this  legation  for  passports,  and  then  ^'■jxcy'touf  en  Europe.^' 
Some  have  families  of  eight(!)  children  with  them;  others 
are  spending  their  "honeymoon;"  and  wandering  bache- 
lors sharp  set  for  Paris,  the  Pope,  the  Pyramids,  St.  Peters- 
burg, or  Persia,  are  countless.  What  a  sinecure  of  a 
place  has  the  American  Minister  in  London ! 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  29.-T0  ME.  M.  M. 

Loi^'DON,  June  26,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  "contretemps"  experienced  by  me 
at  the  Levee  yesterday  is  inaccurately  stated  in  the 
Times  of  to-day,  and  I  can't  think  that  you  would 
knowingly  sanction  a  misrepresentation  as  to  myself.  I 
will  brietiy  tell  you  the  facts  without  a  comment. 

I  took  with  me  to  the  Palace  three  American  gentle- 
men. One  of  these  is  an  eminent  professor  of  civil  and 
military  engineering  in  our  Military  Academy  at  West 
Point,  and  has  the  assimilated  rank  of  major  in  the  army. 
He  wore  his  official  costume: — a  blue  dress  coat,  with  but- 
tons of  the  engineer  corps,  blue  pantaloons,  white  vest, 
black  stock,  and  the  common  hat. 

It  was  objected,  in  a  manner  exceedingly  kind  and 
courteous,  that  he  wore  a  black  cravat,  had  no  chapeau, 
and  no  sword,  and  could  not  thus  pass  the  Queen.  I 
tried  once,  twice,  or  thrice  to  surmount  the  ditficulty  by 
adverting  to  the  official  character  of  his  dress;  but  the 
rule  was  express,  and  there  was  no  discretion  to  relax  it. 
Pained  at  the  position  in  which  my  estimable  country- 


54  TO  SIR   EDWARD    CUST. 

man  was  placed,  among  strangers,  and  in  a  place  to  which 
he  was  entirely  unaccustomed,  I  unhesitatingly  ofl'ered  to 
go  home  with  him,  and  in  this  suggestion  his  companions 
joined.  We  retired.  It  was  impossible  to  do  less,  and 
we  did  no  more. 

Truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  30.-T0  SIE  EDWARD  OUST. 

24  Portland  Place,  June  26,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir  Edward  Oust, — It  has  occurred  to  me 
that  you,  as  the  gentleman  best  knowing  the  incidents 
immediately  preceding  the  opening  of  the  Levee  on 
Wednesday  last,  the  sudden  discovery  of  the  insufficiency 
of  a  particular  costume,  and  the  consequent  retirement 
from  the  Palace,  must  be  the  proper  person  to  whom  to 
address  this  short  note  on  that  subject. 

Allow  me  then  to  say  to  you  frankly  and  unreservedly 
that  the  idea  that  what  then  took  place  can  possibly  be 
attributed  to  a  want  of  respect  to  her  Majesty,  either  in 
my  countryman,  Professor  Mahan,  or  in  myself,  occasions 
surprise  as  well  as  sincere  pain.  'No  sovereign  has  more 
just  and  more  universally  recognized  claims  to  aifection- 
ate  attachment  and  veneration  than  3'our  Queen ;  and  I 
might  hope  that  avowals  of  sentiment,  in  public  and  in 
private,  strengthened  by  an  unaftected  gratitude  for  the 
generous  distinction  and  kindness  with  which  I  have 
been  honored,  ever  since  my  arrival,  as  the  diplomatic 
representative  of  the  United  States  at  her  Majesty's 
Court,  would  render  it  impossible,  even  with  those  who 
do  not  personally  know  me,  that  I  should  be  suspected, 
and  on  an  occasion,  too,  so  casual  and  light,  of  failing  in 
the  respect  so  eminently  due.  I  disclaim  it,  Sir  Edward, 
with  emphasis,  on  my  own  part,  as  wholly  foreign  to  my 
nature,  and  equally  foreign  to  the  government  and  people 
of  the  United  States;  and  I  disclaim  it  as  unjust  to  Pro- 
fessor Mahan,  and  irreconcilable  with  the  high  and  hon- 
orable character  he  has  long  maintained  in  the  service  of 
his  country. 

I  remain,  Sir  Edward,  always,  etc. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  55 


No.  31.-T0  ME.  MAKCT. 

London,  July  3,  185G. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  sent  you  a  despatch  by  the  Fulton, 
which  left  Southampton  yesterday.  Nothing  worthy  of  a 
fresh  one  since. 

The  effort  to  make  of  the  affair  at  the  Levee  some- 
thing of  importance  has  entirely  failed.  I  have  not  re- 
cognized it  as  worthy  to  interfere  with  the  public  interests 
and  business  under  my  care.  It  is  dying  out  as  another 
of  the  gross  exaggerations  of  the  Times,  springing  from 
hostility  to  the  United  States.  The  pretence  that  it 
originated  in  an  intentional  disrespect  to  the  Queen  was 
promptly  exploded.  As  to  the  merits  of  the  Master  of 
Ceremonies'  decision  against  the  admissibility  of  Professor 
Mahan's  costume,  I  am  disposed  to  think  Sir  Edward 
Oust,  though  very  polite  and  courteous,  acted  erroneously, 
and  I  suspect  he  has  been  told  so  by  those  to  whose 
opinions  he  would  be  more  deferential  than  to  mine.  It 
was  a  quasi  military  official  dress,  so  stated  to  be  by  me. 
The  Professor  was  not  an  attache,  and  was  therefore  not 
bound,  by  what  Sir  Edward  kept  harping  on  as  an  agree- 
ment between  himself  and  Mr.  Buchanan,  to  add  anything 
to  his  full  dress  uniform.  The  dress  of  the  members  of 
the  legation  is  controlled  by  the  understanding — not  so 
the  dress  of  others,  citizens  or  officers.  I  have  already 
presented  many,  on  whose  persons  not  a  symptom  of  the 
diplomatic  equipment  could  be  traced  beyond  the  chapeau 
and  sword,  and  no  objection  hinted.  Even  on  this  very 
occasion  Sir  Edward  was  willing  to  pass  as  unexception- 
able the  militia  dress  of  an  adjutant-general  of  i^ew 
Jersey,  which,  though  certainly  showy  (especially  with 
the  blue  ribbon  and  gold  eagle  of  the  Cincinnati  hanging 
at  a  button-hole),  and  highly  respectable,  can  scafcely 
claim  to  be  on  a  footing  with  the  Jiational  costume  pre- 
scribed by  the  President  for  officers  in  the  national  ser- 
vice, ranking  by  assimilation  as  majors.  I  find  many 
distinguished  connoisseurs  of  the  rules  of  etiquette  enter- 
tain the  opinion  that  Sir  Edward  was  confused  in  his 


56  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

notions  and  made  a  bhinder.*  It  is  perhaps  from  the 
prevalence  of  this  sentiment  tliat  it  has  been  thought  ex- 
pedient to  invent  two  utterly  unfounded  subterfuges — 
first,  that  Lord  Clarendon,  upon  being  told  what  had  hap- 
pened, sent  in  haste  to  stop  my  going  away,  and  to, say 
that  her  Majesty  would  receive  the  Professor;  and, 
second,  that  her  Majesty  herself  had  done  so.  We  left 
the  Palace  tranquilly,  after  shaking  hands  with  Sir  Ed- 
ward Oust,  and  without  the  slightest  intimation  that  the 
decree  of  exclusion  had  been  rescinded. 

This  really  frivolous  matter  has  worried  me  personally 
more  than  I  would  be  willing  to  admit ;  but  I  have  been  ex- 
tremely guarded  and  forbearing  to  prevent  its  having  any 
influence  whatever  upon  the  discussions  now  proceeding 
as  to  Central  America.  The  French  newspapers  hailed  its 
first  appearance  in  the  Times  with  delight,  and  seemed 
to  gloat  on  a  fresh  opportunity  of  fanning  discord  be- 
tween England  and  the  United  States.  They  fired  up  in- 
continently at  the  effort  to  advance  another  step  in  the 
usurpations  of  democracy  !  We  may  yet  have  a  Congress 
of  sovereigns  to  teach  dress  and  manners,  whose  proto- 
cols will  be  accompanied  by  photographic  illustrations  of 
the  only  tolerable  "shorts,"  "tights,"  "vests,"  "cravats," 
"  rapiers,"  and  head-gear  ! 


*  "  Council  Hall,  Sheffield,  July  7,  1856. 

"Sir, — I  have  to  acknowledge,  on  behalf  of  the  Sheffield  Foreign  Af- 
fairs Committee,  the  receipt  of  your  very  courteous  note  of  the  24th  ult. 

"  The  Committee,  in  reference  to  the  recent  circumstance  at  the  Queen's 
Levee,  further  instruct  me  to  say  that  if  your  countryman,  as  is  now 
represented  by  a  portion  of  the  Press,  holds  a  recognized  military  rank 
In  America,  and  wore  his  official  costume  on  the  occasion'  in  question, 
they  are  of  opinion  that  Sir  Edward  Cust  made  an  error  of  judgment  in 
not  admitting  him,  witliout  reference  to  the  components  of  that  dress. 
The  Committee  conclude  this  from  their  knowledge  that  Turkish,  Per- 
sian, and  other  officials  have  the  right  of  entrance  in  their  peculiar  na- 
tional dresses.  They  believe  that  the  regulations  on  which  Sir  Edward 
Cust  relied  refer  only  to  cases  of  private  individuals,  that  is,  persons  not 
holding  office  nor  rank,  which  it  is  now  stated  your  countryman  did. 

"The  Committee  also  believe  that  the  misrepresentation  which  the 
Times  in  the  first  instance  made  of  the  circumstances  was  designed  with 
a  view  to  still  further  complicate  the  ditlerences  between  our  country 
and  yours. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  remain,  sir,  yr.  obed.  serv., 

"Wm.  Cyples,  S.  S. 

"  The  Hon.  G.  M.  Dallas, 

"American  Minister,  etc." 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  57 

Since  my  interview  with  Lord  Clarendon  on  Monday- 
last,  I  have  twice  conferred  with  Mr.  Herran,  who  has 
been  received  by  Lord  C,  and  whose  course  of  action  as 
to  the  Bay  Islands  is  alike  intelligent  and  frank.  He  care- 
full}^  advises  with  me  at  every  step,  and  he  assures  me  that 
he  confidently  expects  to  get  the  islands  back.  That 
point  worked  through,  we  ought  reall}^  not  to  quarrel. 

I  send  you  the  whole  American  debate  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  as  reported  in  the  Times.  You  will  recognize 
the  ability  of  Mr.  Gladstone's  speech.  Lord  Palmerston, 
by  dropping  Ci  ampton,  found  it  easy  to  float.  I  believe 
I  tuld  you  that  if  assailed  by  the  Opposition  upon  the  by- 
gone recruitment  business,  he  would  triumph.  The  ma- 
jority was  enormous. 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  32 -TO  ME.  MAKOY. 

London,  July  4,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Li  the  House  of  Commons  last  even- 
ing, and  in  answer  to  a  question  put  by  Mr.  Baillie,  Lord 
Palmerston  is  reported  b}'  the  newspapers  of  this  morn- 
ino;  to  have  said  that — 

"  Mr.  Dallas  had  received  full  powers  to  discuss  the  Cen- 
tral American  question  with  government."  [Advertiser.) 

"Mr.  Dallas  had  full  powers  to  discuss  with  her  Ma- 
jesty's government  all  the  questions  which  have  arisen 
with  respect  to  the  affairs  of  Central  America,  and  that 
he  has  powers  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had  not;  as  I  under- 
stood from  Mr.  Buchanan  that  he  had  no  instructions 
upon  these  questions."  [Post) 

"  The  government  understood  that  Mr.  Dallas  had  full 
powers  to  discuss  with  them  the  questions  connected  with 
the  affairs  of  Central  America,  and  therefore  he  had 
powers  which  Mr.  Buchanan  had  not."  [Times.) 

It  is  difficult  to  see  precisely  what  is  meant  b}'  the  lan- 
guage imputed  to  Lord  Palmerston.  The  shades  of  dif- 
ference between  Mr.  Buchanan's  powers  and  mine,  if  any 
exist,  are  slight.  I  have  laid  before  the  British  govern- 
ment, on  the  11th  June,  your  despatch  of  the  24th  of 
May,  the  last  paragraph  of  which  contains  all  the  powers 

VOL.  I. — 5 


58  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

you  have  given  me  on  the  special  subject  of  Central 
America,  independent  of  my  letter  of  credence.  Cer- 
tainly these  powers  are,  as  Lord  P.  describes  them,  full 
powers  to  discuss,  but  how,  as  such,  they  ditt'er  from  those 
of  Mr.  Buchanan,  I  cannot  perceive,  except  it  be  as  to  the 
details  and  conditions  of  arbitration,  and  even  as  to  those 
I  don't  know  that,  had  the  proposal  of  arbitration  been 
regularly  made  and  entertained,  Mr.  Buchanan's  powers 
to  discuss  would  not  have  been  precisely  as  broad  as  my 
own.  Perhaps  it  is  on  this  hinge  that  Lord  Palmerston's 
distinction  turns.  The  matter  will,  of  course,  engage 
Lord  Clarendon  and  m^^self  at  our  next  meeting;  for  I 
cannot,  with  the  frankness  I  am  resolved  to  pursue,  per- 
mit any  misconception  to  continue  as  to  the  existing  ex- 
tent of  my  powers. 

Suspicion  seems,  more  or  less,  inseparable  from  the 
diplomatic  "role ;"  and  it  has  struck  me  that  possibly  the 
heavy  ministerial  majority  of  the  2d  instant  has  encouraged 
them  to  take  a  bolder  stand;  to  recall  their  readiness  to 
reopen  the  Central  American  discussion;  and  to  put  that 
on  the  ground  that  they  understood  my  powers  to  be 
more  full  than  Mr.  Buchanan's,  and  find  they  are  pretty 
much  the  same.  Such  a  course  would  undoubtedly  be 
utterly  inconsistent  with  past  professions  and  explana- 
tions, and  though  I  have  suspected  it  as  a  possibility,  I  do 
not  believe  it  will  occur. 

Our  quondam  minister  from  Nicaragua  arrived  here 
last  Sunday.  I  am  told  that  he  is  loud  in  animadversions 
upon  the  conduct  of  our  government,  and  that  he  pro- 
poses to  demand  an  audience  of  Lord  Clarendon.  He 
will  probably  try  his  hand  at  mischief;  and  as  there  is 
certainly  no  particularly  favorable  sentiment  felt  here  at 
this  moment  for  the  actual  state  of  things  in  Nicaragua, 
he  may,  to  some  extent,  succeed. 

Always  very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  33.-T0  MR.  MAEOT. 

London,  July  8,  1856. 

INIy  dear  Sir, — Your  despatches  from  16  to  20,  both 
inclusive,  were  received  in  one  batch  this  morning,  and 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  59 

will  be  formally  acknowledged  hereafter.  I  have  not 
now  time  to  do  more  than  will  suffice  to  keep  you,  by 
means  of  a  hasty  note,  up  to  the  times. 

The  discussions  on  Central  America  continue,  and  in 
an  unchanged  humor  to  try  our  best  to  effect  an  arrange- 
ment.    I  think  I  see  land. 

My  powers  were  frankly  considered.  They  rest  exclu- 
sively upon  the  concluding  paragraph  of  your  No,  13. 
Unless,  however,  they  are  greatly  enlarged,  and  instruc- 
tions made  full,  I  foresee  much  delay  and  embarrassment. 

Complaints  are  coming  in  upon  me  on  the  score  qf  the 
inconveniences  which  spring  out  of  a  want  of  international 
regulation  about  seamen  who  desert  from  merchant  ves- 
sels. I  find  that  the  active,  and  repeated  efforts  of  Mr. 
Buchanan  during  last  year,  to  get  a  consular  convention, 
embracing  this  matter,  failed,  though  aided  by  Lord  Clar- 
endon, it  may  be  that  the  recent  incidents  have  opened 
their  eyes  to  the  absolute  necessity  of  some  provisions  on 
the  subject.  If  I  propose  to  3'ou  to  send  me  authority  to 
act,  it  will  only  be  after  having  ascertained  that  the  pros- 
pect of  doing  something  is  better  now  than  it  was  last 
year. 

Parliament  is  restive  under  the  heat.  They  are  pushing 
on  to  an  early  prorogation.  If  nothing  starts  up,  I  think 
they  will  adjourn  by  the  20th  instant. 

I  got  also  to-day  your  "  unofHcial"  of  the  16th  June.  I 
have  not  had  a  richer  treat  for  a  long  time.  It  is  the  first 
symptom  you  have  thrown  out,  in  our  correspondence,  of 
a  relaxation  in  that  costiveuess  which  I  once  charged 
upon  you.  B3^-the-by,  solve  me  this  diplomatic  etiquette 
of  epithets!  Some  of  your  letters  are  marked  '■'■  jprirate," 
that  I  undertand  perfectly;  some  '■'■  strictly  private,'' — what's 
the  difference?  Again,  some  are  headed  ^^ unofficial:" 
does  that  imply  more  than  merely  personal  or  private  ? 
Some  ^'■confidential,''  that  means — does  it  not  ? — "  on  public 
official  business,  but  not  for  public  use."  Others  are 
doubtless  shades  of  difference ;  but  it  may  be  well  to  say 
what  my  own  understanding  ;s,  as  between  myself  indi- 
vidually and  my  records  representatively.  If  you  mark 
'■'■private,'"  the  word  ^'■strictly"  is  supererogatory,  and  yoiir 
missive  goes  ciuietl}'  into  my  pocket;  so  also  as  to  ^'■un- 
official," except  that  its  contents  are  not  esteemed  to  be 
under  the  injunction  of  secrecy;  but  if  you  merely  say 


60  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

^^  confidential,^'  then  it  goes  into  the  archives  as  a  secret 
paper  of  the  legation. 

I  want  to  be  agreeable  at  the  close  of  a  dull  epistle,  and 
must  therefore  tell  you  that  everybody  here,  without  an 
exception,  regards  your  despatches  Nos,  13  and  14  as  first 
rate  specimens  of  diplomatic  ability  and  skill.  General 
Scott  and  Lord  Clarendon  are  in  the  same  category  of 
vanquished.     My  cordial  respects  all  round. 

Always  truly  yrs. 


No.  34.-T0  MR.  MAEOT. 

LoNDOK,  July  11,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  must  not  be  appalled  by  the  length 
of  to-day's  despatch.  I  promise  not  to  repeat  it  often,  es- 
pecially at  a  season  when  you  are  probably  (notwithstand- 
ing the  comfortable  coal  lire  before  which  I  am  writing) 
perspiring  under  a  sun  of  100°  Fahrenheit,  at  Washing- 
ton. 

Everything  here  is  tranquil.  Even  the  tea-pot  tempest 
of  the  Black-tie  and  Gamboge  vest  has  subsided  to  the 
common  level.  Parliament  is  packing  up,  and  will  soon 
be  noncomeatibus  in  swampo,  that  is  if  pheasants  and  grouse 
are  tenants  of  marshes.  Nothing  remains  to  keep  one 
awake  but  the  drowsy  hum  of  the  Italian  question  ;  and 
even  that  Lord  John  Russell  proposes  to  put  at  rest.  In 
a  little  while  all  London  will  have  fallen  asleep  in  the 
green  lap  of  rural  retirement,  and  nobody,  no!  nobody, 
be  left  to  keep  watch  and  ward  for  international  safety 
and  peace  but  Lord  Clarendon  and  me.  Genii  of  Cen- 
tral America,  hover  over  and  protect  us!  for  we  mean 
well. 

We  have  just  had  the  Guards,  returned  from  the 
Crimea,  some  four  thousand  lads  of  19,  in  bright  red 
coats  and  huge  fur  caps,  pass  through  the  highways  and 
file  in  procession  before  the  Queen.  One  could  not  help 
thinking,  as  they  moved  onward,  "  hardly  heavy  enough 
for  effective  fight!" 

Ko  talk  yet,  not  a  whisper,  as  to  sending  a  successor  to 
Crampton.     Many  I  know  would  like  the  place,  notwith- 


TO  MR.  JOHN  EVANS.  61 

standing  their  awe  of  the  American  Secretary.  There's 
Lord  Howden — no  me  gusto  !  Lord  Elgin — capital !  The 
Duke  of  Newcastle  and  his  fine  daughter — excellent ! 
Sir  Edward  B.  Lytton — agreed  !  Mr.  Charles  Pelhara. 
Villiers,  Lord  Clarendon's  brother — admirable !  Sir  Wil- 
liam G.  Ousely,  with  his  American  antecedents  et  uxor — 
quite  acceptable!  Give  them  time  to  recover  from  the 
galvanic  shock  of  the  Cramptonian  smasher,  and  when 
the}'  once  resolve  to  let  by-gones  be  by-gones,  I  shall  be 
mistaken  if  your  diplomatic  corps  will  not  be  adorned 
and  strengthened  by  an  Englishman  of  higher  rank, 
greater  ability,  better  temper,  and  more  winning  man- 
ners, than  anj'  our  terrible  but  resistless  democracy  has 
yet  welcomed. 

The  steady  stream  of  American  travellers  through  this 
city  and  onward  to  every  point  of  the  Continent,  and 
then  winding  backwards,  is  a  sort  of  moral  Mississippi 
or  Amazon.  There  is  really  a  miraculous  character  about 
it.  One  would  imagine  that  our  migratory  people,  having 
reached  their  Ultima  Thule  on  the  golden  coast  of  the 
Pacific,  were  resolved  to  turn  their  faces  once  more  to 
the  rising  sun,  and  trample  over  Europe  to  Tartary  and 
Japan.  Only  think  for  a  moment  of  the  rushing  rapids 
that  pour  into  the  American  Legation,  on  the  arrival  of 
every  steamer,  for  Passports !  Passports !  Where  to  ? 
Everywhere. 

The  ministerial  white-bait  dinner  is  fixed  for  the  19th 
inst.,  and  therefore  prorogation  may  be  looked  for  by  the 
25th.  Lord  John's  motion  on  Italian  affairs  is  for  Mon- 
day next,  the  14th. 

Alwaj'S  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  35 -TO  ME.  JOHN  EVANS. 

LoxDOX,  July  14,  1856. 

Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  12th  instant  has  been  received. 

Without  knowing  you,  I  cannot  assume  the  responsi- 
bility of  advising  you  on  your  project  of  emigrating  to 
the  United  States,  it  might  be  that  although  you  pos- 
sess the  means,  and  the  personal  qualities,  which  would 


62  TO  MR.  31  ARC r. 

give  promise  of  success  in  a  new  and  rising  country,  yet 
your  iixed  tastes  and  habits  would  make  you  miserable 
there.  Your  safest  course  is  to  cross  the  Atlantic  during 
this  summer,  pass  by  the  cities,  and  speed  directly  to  St. 
Louis,  in  Missouri,  or  Chicago,  in  Illinois;  stay  ten  days 
or  more,  look  about,  and  consult  the  men  of  business 
whom  you  will  find  as  plentiful  as  blackberries,  see  what 
pursuit  would  suit  you  best,  how  you  can  most  safely  and 
profitably  invest  your  .£3000  (which  is  an  ample  fund  to 
start  with  out  there),  and  then  determine  for  yourself 
whether  to  remain  or  return.  At  your  age,  with  your 
health,  after  20  years  of  active  life  in  Liverpool,  and  with 
the  money  at  your  command,  if  you  scrupulously  keep 
oft"  the  snags  and  sawyers  of  politics  for  five  years,  I 
should  deem  it  quite  an  exception  to  the  ordinary  and 
natural  current  of  things,  if  you  were  not  rich,  influen- 
tial, and  respected  by  the  time  you  are  fifty. 

Respectfully  yrs. 


No.  36.-TO  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  July  15,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  no  reason  for  writing  except  the 
desire  for  letting  you  have  something,  however  unimport- 
ant, by  every  good  opportunity. 

Murray,  the  publisher  of  the  Quarterly  Hevieiu,  sent  me 
the  June  number  yesterday.  It  contains  an  animated  ar- 
ticle on  Central  America,  which  vindicates  the  Mosquito 
Protectorate,  and  then  surrenders  it  to  some  arrangement 
like  what  I  sent  you,  but  moving  the  Indians  off"  in  a 
body  to  Canada;  it  vindicates  the  English  title  to  Ruatan, 
rather  as  a  West  India  Island  than  a  dependency  of  the  Be- 
lize, and  then  surrenders  it  to  Honduras;  and  it  is  willing 
,  to  stop  the  Belize  settlement  at  the  Sarstoon,  provided 
that  be  a  final  adjustment.  You  will  see  by  this  article, 
though  it  is  crowded  with  haughty  pretension  and  dog- 
matic assertion,  that  public  opinion  here  is  fast  coming 
to  the  point  of  amicable  arrangement  at  any  sacrifice. 
The  wrij;er,  at  the  close,  mounts  the  jaded  steed  of  the 
Recruitment  question,  and  caracols  for  Crampton  at  a 
furious  rate. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  63 

Some  of  the  newspapers  are  anxious  about  Parliament 
adjourninii:;  before  the  definitive  settlement  of  the  differ- 
ences with  us.  They  don't  like  leaving  unchecked  in 
the  hands  of  Lord  Palmerston  the  power  to  make  war, 
and  they  ask  why  so  much  naval  force  has  been  sent  to 
the  West  Indies.  We  have  got  the  ministerial  assur- 
ances, both  public  and  private,  on  this  last  point,  and  we 
can  get  nothing  more.  As  to  hurr3'ing  a  convention 
with  Lord  Clarendon,  that  is  impossible ;  for  I  have  as 
yet  no  power  to  propose  or  reject  anything.  Without 
guide,  except  as  I  am  able  to  distil  your  views  from  de- 
spatahes  to  Mr.  Buchanan,  I  can  only  listen  and  suggest. 
Our  friends  in  Parliament  take  it  for  granted  that  I  am 
armed  at  all  points,  and  seem  every  day  to  enquire  how 
the  matter  gets  on,  under  the  delusive  expectation  that  I 
will  hint  the  signature  of  a  complete  arrangement !  Lord 
Chirendon  and  I  must,  I  suppose,  while  away  full  another 
month  before  we  can  go  seriously  to  work;  nor  do  I 
think  there  is  any  harm  in  our  doing  so;  on  the  contrary, 
it  gives  me  time  to  see  how  Mr.  Herran  gets  on  with  the 
Bay  Islands,  for  their  devolution  is  a  sine  qua  non,  and 
time  also  to  receive  any  instruction  you  may  think  proper 
to  send  about  Mr.  Alvarado.  It  is  not  improbable  that 
they  may  persuade  themselves  to  believe  that  Col.  Fre- 
mont will  be  elected  in  November  next;  and  if  they  adopt 
that  notion,  they  would  like  to  take  the  chance  of  the 
new  administration's  adopting  their  interpretation  of  the 
treat}'. 

I  attended  the  House  of  Commons  last  evening  to  hear 
the  debate  on  the  Italian  question.  Lord  John  Russell 
introduced  it  reasonably  well.  Lord  Palmerston  talked 
much,  but  left  the  matter  without  a  ray  of  light.  Disraeli 
went  the  whole  figure  of  conservatism,  and  dread  of  revo- 
lution. On  the  whole,  the  discussion  was  flat,  unmeaning, 
and  unproductive.  There  is  a  singular  stagnation  in  the 
political  atmosphere  of  Europe  at  the  very  moment  when 
ours  is  all  in  motion. 

I  hear,  now  and  then,  from  our  friend  at  Madrid,  Aft- 
gustus  C.  Dodge.  He  last  wrote  me  for  a  hint  as  to  what 
course  it  would  be  best  for  Commodore  Breese,  who  was 
at  Cadiz,  to  take.  I  could  only  answer  that  I  could  per- 
ceive now  no  cause  for  alarm  or  misgiving. 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


64  TO  MR.  MARCY 


No.  37.-TO  ME.  WILLIAM  BEOWN. 

24  Portland  Place,  July  16,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  rumor,  which  you  tell  me  prevailed 
ill  the  House  of  Commous  last  evening,  that  "  all  our  dif- 
ferences are  settled,"  is,  I  hope,  connected  with  that  de- 
scription of  events  which  are  said  to  cast  their  shadows 
before.  It  is,  however,  no  better  founded  now  than  it 
might  have  been  three  weeks  ago. 

We  are  all  deeply  sensible  of  the  kindness  of  yourself 
and  Mrs.  Brown  in  proposing  to  us  a  visit  to  Richmond 
Hill,  and  have  many  thanks  to  give.  Until,  however,  I 
am  able  to  see  land  on  the  business  so  important  and  in- 
teresting to  our  two  countries,  which  brought  me  here,  I 
do  not  think  I  shall  find  an  excuse  to  my  anxiety,  for  leav- 
ing London  a  single  day. 

I  hope  to  see  you  before  you  go. 

Always  truly  yrs. 


No.  38.-TO  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  July  18,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir,- — The  accounts  from  Spain  are  full  of  ex- 
citement. They  are  given  in  the  newspapers  in  homoeo- 
pathic doses.  Whether  this  be  precautionary  design,  or 
the  natural  shape  of  telegraphic  news,  is  not  easil}^  de- 
terminable. It  is  said  that  the  insurrection  in  Madrid  has 
been  completely  suppressed — dubiiatur.  At  any  rate,  it  is 
buoj^ant  in  Saragossa  and  in  Barcelona.  There  is  a  draw- 
back in  this  movement ;  for  I  am  told  that  they  who  have 
proclaimed  a  republic  have  also  pledged  themselves,  if 
successful,  to  emancipate  the  slaves  in  Cuba. 

.  The  gentlemen  who  represent  Honduras  here  are  not 
as  discreet  as  perhaps  they  should  be.  They  go  into  the 
newspapers  and  explain  their  objects.  Lord  Ckirendon 
will  be  apt,  I  should  fear,  to  take  offence  at  this  exchange 
of  the  Foreign  Office  for  the  Press.  I  have  intimated  my 
opinion  b#th  to  Mr.  Squier  and  Mr.  Herran.  It  is  an  im- 
prudent invocation  of  hostile  views. 


TO  MR.  MARCr.  65 

It  is  whispered  that  Louis  Napoleon  has  retreated  into 
the  country,  owing  to  his  suffering  from  the  attacks  of  some 
severe  and  serious  disease. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  39.-T0  MR.  MAROY. 

London,  July  22,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — ^Notwithstanding  your  letter  to  him  of 
the  28th  May,  1856,  assuring  him  that  the  prosecution 
against  him  should  be  discontinued,  and  that  orders  to 
that  effect  had  been  issued  to  the  United  States  Attorney 
at  Cincinnati,  Mr.  Rowcroft  writes  to  Lord  Clarendon 
within  a  week  past  that  he  cannot  quit  Cincinnati,  as  he 
is  still  under  recognizance  to  answer,  and  that  the  District 
Attorney  says  he  has  repeatedly  written  to  Washington 
upon  the  subject,  but  can  get  no  reply.  Pray  enquire  about 
this,  and  have  what  is  right  dane,  letting  me  know  where 
the  mistake  lies. 

I  have  just  got  back  from  the  Foreign  Office  in  time  to 
write  this,  but  without  anything  sufiiciently  important  for 
a  despatch.  His  lordship  had  not  had  leisure  to  finish 
his  sketch  of  a  plan  for  ending  the  protectorate;  it  was 
begun,  however,  and  he  promised  to  send  it  in  the  course 
of  the  week.  He  complains  of  being  dreadfully  fagged 
by  the  expiring  throes  of  the  present  session  of  Parlia- 
ment.    He  can't  get  to  bed  before  five  in  the  morning. 

Spain,  you  see,  is  in  a  ferment.  Italy  will  next  spring 
upwards.  Louis  Napoleon  thinks  the  opportunity  come 
to  play  his  great  uncle's  game  with  Ferdinand  and  to  find 
a  throne  for  the  Prince,  whose  nose  the  Empress  has  so 
unkindly  disjointed.  He  has  offered  to  assist  Queen 
Isabella,  which  means  to  devour  the  kingdom,  and  ex- 
tinguish the  hazard  of  a  republicanism  too  near  at  hand. 
Nothing  yet  heard  of  Espartero. 

Yery  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


66  TO  MR.  3IAECr. 


No.  40.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  July  25,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  will  perceive  by  the  newspapers 
that,  two  days  ao:o,  a  question  was  addressed  to  Lord  Pal- 
merston,  in  the  House  of  Commons,  by  Mr.  Milner  Gibson, 
as  to  whether  her  Majesty's  government  had  determined 
to  send  a  minister  to  Washington.  Mr.  Gibson  is  a 
friend,  and  a  watchful  one  to  boot.  The  reply  of  the 
Premier  was  to  the  effect  that  the  cabinet  had  come  to 
no  decision,  and  that  it  was  by  no  means  unusual  that 
delays  should  take  place  in  appointing  diplomatic  repre- 
sentatives. There  was  neither  word  nor  look  to  intimate 
an  indisposition  to  fill  the  mission  ;  in  fact,  the  answer 
produced  the  impression  that  no  decision  had  been  come 
to,  because  it  was  difficult  to  select  the  person,  rather  than 
from  any  other  motive.  Be  that  as  it  may,  I  have  ascer- 
tained, from  a  source  entirely  unquestionable,  that  there 
are  gentlemen  in  "Washington,  "  distinguished  for  ability 
and  position,"  who  amuse  themselves  by  writing  letters 
to  their  friends  here,  intended  for  exhibition  to  the  min- 
istry, and  inculcating  in  the  interest  of  the  American 
Party,  that  the  manner  in  which  Mr.  Crampton's  dis- 
missal was  treated  by  this  government  has  worked  advan- 
tageously for  the  democracy,  and  they  strive  hard  to  have 
something  done  which  may  rekindle  the  panic,  as  to  the 
danger  of  war,  among  our  mercantile  classes.  I  asked  for 
no  names,  because  [  was  frankly  told  in  adv^ance  that 
they  could  not  be  given.  But  I  characterized  the  letter- 
writers,  in  strong  terms,  as  mischievous  partisan  inter- 
meddlers,  who,  for  the  sake  of  carrying  their  Presidential 
candidate,  were  willing  to  hazard  the  peace  and  interests 
of  their  country.  I  do  not  feel  entirely  at  liberty  to  go 
into  details.  They  would  surprise  you.  But  you  are  en- 
titled to  know,  and  I  violate  no  principle  of  delicacy  in 
letting  you  know,  the  incontestable  fact  I  have  stated.  If 
a  minister  to  Washington  be  withheld,  though  I  do  not 
think  one  will  be  withheld  beyond  a  reasonable  time,  it 
will  be  outing,  in  my  opinion,  to  the  effect  produced  by 
these  secret  and  treacherous  letter-writers.  It  is  amazing, 
if  not  almost  incredible,  that  any  "distinguished"  Amer- 


TO  JUDGE  JOEL  JONES.  67 

icaii  citizen  should  not  revolt  from  such  a  proceeding. 
HoAv  far,  too,  it  has  a  tendency  to  dissuade  from  the  con- 
temphited  adjustment  of  the  Central  American  differences, 
or  at  all  events  to  protract  the  negotiation,  it  would  be 
hard  to  say.  I  hope  those  with  whom  that  business  must 
be  transacted  are  too  sagacious  and  honorable  to  permit 
themselves  to  be  misled  by  the  wretched  zealots  of  aboli- 
tionism, now  playing  a  orame  of  despair  in  our  canvass; 
and  yet  England  has  so  long  and  so  obstinately  deemed 
our  democratic  party  her  natural  and  unalterable  enemy, 
that  the  force  of  habit  may  exert  its  power. 

The  coup  cVetat  of  Louis  ISTapoleon  has  got  its  parallel — 
no,  not  quite  its  parallel,  but  its  servile  imitation — in  the 
conduct  of  O'Donnell  at  Madrid.  The  citizens  are  butch- 
ered by  wholesale,  and  the  legislature  coolly  Cromwell- 
ized.  France  may  find  a  pretext  for  occupying  the  Spanish 
capital  as  she  occupies  Rome.  Wherever  a  popular  com- 
motion occurs  she  may  like  to  occupy.  According  to  all 
sound  modern  doctrine,  occupation,  whether  for  one  or 
seven  years,  is  perfectly  consistent  with  non-intervention. 
There  is  something  singularly  accommodating  in  that 
word  "occupy," — is  there  not?  The  Premier  begins  to 
'■'■scent  the  tainted  gale.'"  (See  slip.) 

The  prorogation  is  put  off  till  the  middle  of  next  week. 
To-night,  according  to  a  strange  and  recently  established 
practice,  Mr.  Disraeli  will  review  the  session,  and  elab- 
orately set  forth  the  mismanagement,  omissions,  and  com- 
missions of  the  ministry,  during  the  five  legislative  months. 
He  represents,  for  the  occasion,  the  Opposition;  Lord  Pal- 
merston  will  reply.     A  regular  set-to  by  champions. 

As  yet  we  have  had  sight  of  summer  only  in  fruits  and 
flowers.     Two  or  three  days  of  warm  sun,  no  more. 

Always  truly  yrs. 


No.  41.-T0  JUDGE  JOEL  JONES. 

LoxDOx,  July  25,  1856. 

My  dear  Judge, — Warm  weather  is  of  slbw  progress 
here.  I  have  yet  had  no  cause  to  thin  the  clothing  put 
on  during  the  extreme  cold  of  January  last  in  Philadel- 


68  TO  JUDGE  JOEL  JONES. 

phia.  And  yet  the  newspapers  represent  you  as  frying 
under  96°  of  Fahrenheit! 

From  this  distant  stand-point,  our  politics  appear  ex- 
cessively angry,  confused,  and  critical.  The  Americans 
have  taken  up  Fremont  upon  the  principle  and  in  imita- 
tion of  our  nomination  in  '52,  Will  it  ran  the  same  wild 
and  victorious  career?  If  Providence  still  favors  the 
Union,  reserving  it  even  in  despite  of  our  numerous  ex- 
travangances  and  follies,  we  may  succeed.  T  can  see  no 
reliance  but  in  Providence.  We  have  tried  our  best,  or 
worst,  to  exasperate  Providence;  let  us  hope  still  that  the 
real  and  unaltered  excellence  of  our  Constitution  may 
keep  her  on  our  side.  A  great  pother  is  made  in  these 
old  fogy  regions  about  the  series  of  violences  which  ac- 
company the  fermentation  of  our  great  canvass.  One 
governor  declares  martial  law;  another  administers  it, 
Math  a  kick,  in  the  State  capitol ;  one  member  of  Con- 
gress shoots  down  a  table  servant;  and  another  selects 
higher  game  for  his  bludgeon  in  the  Senate  chamber ; 
civil  war  has  its  licensed  playground  in  Kansas;  and 
droves  of  foreign  fighters  are  rushing  to  Nicaragua;  bel- 
ligerents throng  to  hiss  and  shout  at  every  public  gath- 
ering; and  rows  and  riots  are — everywhere!  Such  is  the 
picture  drawn  by  an  European  artist.  Its  features  come 
to  you  in  detached  doses,  and  are  therefore  not  so  strik- 
ing; crossing  the  water,  they  cluster  into  an  intolerable 
bouquet. 

I  have  to  thank  you  for  your  agreeable  letters.  They 
tell  me  all  the  political  incidents  and  the  social  occur- 
rences, of  which  I  should  otherwise  remain  unconscious. 
I  wish  this  stagnant  part  of  the  world  furnished  me  some- 
thing to  send  you  in  return.  By-the-by,  Spain  has  just 
opened  the  revolutionary  movement.  O'Donnell,  mimick- 
ing the  coup  d'etat  of  Louis  I*Tapoleon,  has  drenched  Madrid 
with  the  blood  of  its  citizens,  and  dispersed  the  Cortes. 
Many  think  that  the  train  was  fired  from  Plombieres,  the 
mysterious  summer  retreat  of  the  French  Emperor.  Cer- 
tainly, he  has  promptly  shown  his  sympathies  on  behalf 
of  unconstitutional  government.  Lord  Palmerston,  yes- 
terday, in  the  House  of  Commons,  had  the  audacit}^  while 
seeming  to  vindicate,  to  give  him  a  cool  warning.  I  send 
you  this  remarkable  intimation  to  England's  great  ally. 
All  the  Parisian  journals  will  exclaim  "Morbleu!  Par 
exemple!" 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  69 

Parliament  has  but  few  clays  longer  to  live.  The  ses- 
sion must  have  its  '■'- oraison  funebre."  They  have  a  sin- 
gular practice  of  permitting  the  leader  of  the  Opposition 
in  the  House  of  Commons,  just  before  the  session  closes, 
to  review  the  ministerial  conduct,  and  to  concentrate  in  a 
single  philippic  all  the  grounds  of  accusation  and  com- 
plaint. Mr.  Disraeli  has  given  notice  that  he  intends 
doing  that  matter  to-night. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  42.-T0  ME.  MAROY. 

LoNDOX,  July  29,  185?. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  private  letter  of  the  13th  instant 
reached  me  yesterday,  and  was  heartily  welcome. 

^ly  despatches  during  this  month  will  have  shown  you 
that  I  have  been  actively  '■'■feeling  the  ground  in  relation  to 
Central  American  questions."  I  cannot  say  that  I  have 
reached  bottom  yet,  although  the  Morning  Advertiser  of 
Saturday  last  formally  announced  that  all  matters  were 
settled.  I  suspect  the  editor  of  that  paper  was  anxious  to 
pour  out  an  amende  honorable  by  extravagant  eulogy  of  my- 
self, and  found  no  excuse  for  doing  so  except  by  inventing 
a  consummation  which  he  knew  would  attract  attention 
and  be  universally  acceptable.  It  is  possible  that  he  may 
know  more  of  British  Cabinet  secrets  than  I  do ;  and  that 
a  suggestion  I  once  made  to  Lord  C,  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  the  Gordian  knot  of  our  difficulties  might  be  cut, 
has  been  adopted,  to  wit, — that  the  Queen  should  take 
the  responsibility  and  initiative  in  restoring  the  Bay 
Islands  to  Honduras.  I  threw  the  notion  out,  certainly 
not  dreaming  that  it  would  stick;  but  the  Advertiser  pre- 
dicts it  positively.  We  shall  know  at  the  prorogation  to- 
day. 

Lord  C.  has  sent  me,  two  or  three  days  ago,  my  j^^^o- 
forma  scheme  of  getting  out  of  the  Protectorate,  moditied 
and  changed  according  to  his  views.  I  would  send  you 
this  paper,  but  he  accompanied  it  with  a  note,  requesting 
me  to  consider  \i  inivate,  as  he  had  not  even  been  yet  able 
to  show  it  to  his  colleagues.    It  contains  some  things,  too, 


70  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

the  real  bearing  of  which  I  apprehend  he  has  not  suffi- 
ciently weighed,  and  which  I  hope  and  believe  he  will 
readily  forego.  Your  despatch,  No.  13,  had  he  remem- 
bered its  contents,  would  certainly  satisfy  him  that  I  could 
do  nothing  in  the  nature  of  recognizing  the  Mosquitoes  as 
an  independent  sovereignty  or  nation;  and  that  I  had  it 
as  little  within  my  competenc}^  to  overlook  the  ultimate 
eminent  domain  of  Nicaragua,  or  to  complicate  the  foreign 
policy  of  the  United  States  in  a  joint  protectorate.  These 
are  matters  as  to  which,  to  be  sure,  I  will  carefully  fulfil 
any  instructions  you  may  transmit;  but,  without  instruc- 
tions, they  do  not  meet  my  judgment  or  approval.  I  am 
preparing  a  reformed  sketch;  adopting  what  I  can,  retain- 
ing what  he  has  adopted  of  my  former  view,  and  showing 
what  I  conceive,  as  at  present  advised,  to  be  impossible. 
My* opinion  is  that  we  shall  ultimately  adjust  a  plan  by 
which  the  British  obligation  of  honor  may  in  no  respect 
be  violated  in  the  abandonment  of  the  protectorate;  un- 
less, indeed,  your  promised  instructions,  which  I  anxiously 
look  for,  open  a  new  field  of  discussion,  and  give  my  labors 
a  diiferent  direction. 

So  much  has  been  said  in  periodicals,  in  weekly  and 
daily  newspapers,  evincing  the  acceptableness  of  the  pro- 
posed restitution  of  Ruatan  to  Honduras,  that  I  can 
scarcely  doubt,  after  the  conversations  that  I  and  Mr. 
Herran  have  separately  had  with  Lord  Clarendon,  that  it 
is  a  point  which  will  be  conceded  to  the  spirit  of  peace. 
I  would  therefore  suggest  whether,  if  that  be  done,  especi- 
ally if  done  handsomely,  it  ■vvould  be  becoming  in  us  to 
take  our  position  inter  apices  juris  about  the  Guntemalian 
title  to  the  land  between  the  Siburn  and  Sarstoon  ?  The 
truth  is,  that  if  trade  across  the  Isthmus  once  become 
fearless,  active,  and  free,  the  Belize  will  fast  sink  into  in- 
significance, and  be  abandoned.  Commerce  will  pass  it 
by  contemptuously,  and  even  Hanseaticated  San  Juan  will 
flap  her  wrings  and  crow  over  it. 

You  will  see  by  the  note  I  enclose  from  Lord  C,  that 
he  has  got  a  late  letter  from  Mr.  Rowcroft,  which  entitles 
you  to  dismiss  that  gentleman's  anxiety  for  a  nol.  pros, 
from  your  mind. 

I  have  no  misgivings  about  the  Presidential  canvass. 
"We  must  succeed.  Tlie  adversary  has  kindly  submitted 
to  as  much  division  as  was  necessary  to  secure  their  weak- 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  71 

ness.  It  is  quite  plain,  too,  that,  like  frightened  birds,  they 
have  lit  on  a  twig  too  fragile  to  support  them.  Fremont 
is  respectable  enough  per  se,  but  he  cannot  carry  the 
weight  of  a  party.  Besides,  all  who  reflect  must  perceive 
that  our  failure  would  rock  the  Union  to  its  deepest 
foundations,  if  not  snap  it  in  two.  I  dare  say,  that  like  all 
other  free  peoples  that  have  ever  existed,  ours  is  destined 
to  be  mad  some  day;  but  the  hour  has  not  arrived. 

Mr.  Herran  has  this  instant  come  and  gone.  In  his 
interview  at  the  Foreign  Oflice  on  Saturday  last.  Lord  C. 
said  he  would  draft  a  treaty  restoring  the  islands,  and 
only  bargaining  that  Port  Ro3'al  should  be  a  free  port, 
except  a  small  duty  adequate  to  pay  the  police  officers  of 
Honduras.  Mr.  Herran  is  not  the  ablest  of  men,  and  may 
not  be  perfectly  accurate;  but  of  the  main  point,  the  resti- 
tution, he  is  quite  certain. 

The  prorogation  just  over.  The  speech  adverts  to  our 
negotiations  on  Central  America,  and  the  Queen  wishes 
them  a  happy  conclusion.  That's  all;  but  it  is  something. 
Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  43.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  August  8,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  not  been  successful  recently  in 
efforts  to  continue  and  ripen  the  discussion  with  Lord 
Clarendon.  Three  several  days  have  been  fixed  for  con- 
ference during  the  last  week,  but  each  has  had  to  give 
way  to  some  peremptory  call  elsewhere  of  his  lordship. 
The  Queen  last  commanded  him  to  Osborne,  and,  unless 
her  Majesty  release  him  for  to-day,  he  will  fail  in  his  en- 
gagement to  meet  me  at  the  Foreign  Office  at  3  o'clock. 
Mr.  Herran  has  been  subject  to  the  same  delays;  and  when 
he  came  to  see  me  yesterday,  he  appeared  worried  at  not 
having  received  the  draft  of  his  convention,  promised  for 
a  week  ago.  Literruptiou  and  procrastination  are,  we  all 
know,  unavoidable  incidents  of  high  official  station.  They 
must  be  borne  with  due  patience  by  those  who  have  pub- 
lic objects  in  view.  As  to  myself,  I  cannot  undertake  to 
be  in  a  hurry,  until,  1,  Mr.  Herran  secures  the  Bay  Islands, 


72  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

and  2,  I  am  enabled  to  do  something  more  than  discuss, 
or  theorize,  or  plan. 

It  is  quite  obvious  that  no  single  member  of  the  min- 
istry assumes  to  act,  on  a  matter  of  moment,  without  con- 
sulting his  colleagues.  This  is  necessarily  productive  of 
endless  postponement.  Most  of  the  cabinet  have  left 
London  since  the  prorogation  of  Parliament,  and  are 
wandering  in  the  Provinces.  They  can  confer  along  the 
telegraphic  wires,  not  otherwise.  I  believe  I  told  you  that 
Lord  C.  had  requested  me  to  treat  as  imvate  his  sketch  of 
a  scheme  to  abate  the  protectorate,  because  he  had  not 
had  an  opportunity  to  show  it  to  his  colleagues.  That  is 
an  example. 

The  diplomatic  corps  is  even  more  scattered  than  the 
cabinet.  The  French,  Austrian,  Prussian,  Spanish,  Turk- 
ish, Sardinian,  and  Hanoverian  ministers  are  all  on  the 
Continent;  indeed,  I  doubt  whether  there  be  a  single 
"chef  except  myself  in  London.  It  is  often  impossible 
to  get  a  passport  vised  at  any  office  but  mine.  Holidays 
here  are  literally  holidays  all  round. 

"Order  reigns  in  Spain;"  but  the  stability  of  O'Donnell 
is  by  no  means  assured.  He  must  either  carry  out  his 
movement  to  its  legitimate  results,  and  let  Christina 
return  in  triumph,  or  he  must  tall  back  upon  the  consti- 
tutional party  and  reinstate  the  Espartero  influence. 
When  the  Pope,  Christina,  Isabella,  and,  sub  rosa,  Louis 
iN'apoleon,  are  making  "a  pull  all  together,"  at  one  end 
of  the  rope,  O'Donnell  can  scarcely  keep  a  steady  footing 
at  the  other,  alone.  He  will  probably  yield  to  the  abso- 
lutists, and  then  they  will  soon  get  rid  of  him,  or  he  will 
resist,  and  on  the  liberal  side  inaugurate  another  revolu- 
tionary struggle,  when  the  French  will  intervene  deci- 
sively. The  "prestige"  of  this  country,  I  consider  gone, 
fuit,  and  no  party  on  the  Continent  thinks  her  willing  and 
competent  to  stand  by  and  protect  the  cause  of  liberal 
government.  She  is  essentially  and  practically  chained 
to  the  footstool  of  a  usurper  more  dangerous  to  the  lib- 
erties of  mankind,  because  more  cunning  to  employ  the 
vocabulary  and  arts  of  freedom  than  would  be  a  dozen 
Russian  Czars.  Steam,  too,  has  brought  her  into  such 
close  proximity  with  her  neighbor,  that  she  dare  not  op- 
pose liitn  without  being,  what  she  knows  she  never  is, 
ready  to  repel  a  sudden  invasion.     She  does  not  venture 


TO    COL.  PAGE.  73 

to  remonstrate  against  Pelissier's  new  title  of  Dnke  of  Mal- 
akotf,  but  is  obliged  to  witness  in  silence  this  unmistak- 
able and  indelible  claim  to  the  monopoly  of  the  crowning 
honor  of  the  Crimean  war.  Lord  Palmerston,  in  the  heat 
of  debate,  uses  loud  words  now  and  then,  but  his  followers 
stare  in  terriiied  astonishment,  and  he  sinks  silently  back 
again  into  unavoidable  submission.     Fuit!  Fidt! 

I  have  just  returned  from  the  F.  O.,  and  after  two 
hours'  conference  with  Lord  C,  have  only  time  to  say 
that  everything  connected  with  the  negotiation  wears  the 
most  promising  and  satisfactory  aspect.  He  told  me, 
upon  being  asked  how  it  stood  with  Mr.  Herran,  that  he 
thought  that  matter  of  the  Bay  Islands  quite  settled;  that 
he  would  send  for  Mr.  Herran  this  afternoon;  that  he 
would  draft  the  convention  of  restitution  without  delay; 
and,  indeed,  that  there  was  nothing  left  to  be  done,  ex- 
cept to  agree  upon  some  mode  of  indemnifying  the  Eng- 
lish residents.  I  enquired  whether  he  had  kept  steadily 
in  view  to  avoid  any  stipulation  for  peculiar  privileges. 
He  replied  that  he  had. 

"We  have,  as  to  the  protectorate,  one  only  remaining 
snag  to  get  over,  or  to  get  round,  and  that  is  the  condition 
of  Nicaragua;  and  we  are  both  to  set  our  wits  to  work  to 
remove  it  if  possible. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  44.-T0  GOL.  PAGE. 

London,  August  12,  1856. 

My  dear  Colonel, — You  must  deal  with  me  in  mercy. 
I  have  been  working  hard  and  unceasingly,  so  that  pri- 
vate correspondence  became  an  almost  prohibited  indul- 
gence. Mr.  Marcy  is  a  tyrannical  monopolist,  and  exacts 
all  my  written  ideas.  In  a  little,  I  shall  have  finished  my 
job,  and  may  then  take  an  airing  among  the  friends  who 
have  kept  me  in  mind. 

All  this  part  of  the  world  is  anticipating,  hoping,  and 
wishing  the  defeat  of  our  democracy  in  jTovember.  It 
must  not  be.  Col.  Page,  I  say,  it  must  not  be!  It  is  dif- 
ficult to  tell  you  how  "much  of  human  liberty,  right,  and 

VOL.  I. — 6 


74  TO    COL.  PAGE. 

happiness  is  at  stake;  enough  to  make  selfish  and  per- 
sonal prejudices,  were  they  a  hundredfold  multiplied,  fly 
up  and  kick  the  beam.  Alas!  how  much  disinterested 
virtue  the  maintenance  of  a  republic  demands!  but  it  is 
virtue,  and  is  its  own  glorious  reward. 

*  *  *  *  writes  me  in  a  rather  desponding  tone.  He 
should  bustle  more,  and  work  off  the  megrims.  A  fling 
into  a  free  fight  is  sure  to  stitfen  the  nerves  and  banish 
the  blues.  If  he  shirks  fighting  for  himself,  let  him  fight 
for  what  I  think  in  greater  peril,  the  Union.  I  say  this 
to  every  one  of  the  true  men  to  whom  I  feel  at  liberty  to 
address  an  honest  exhortation.  To  myself  individually 
it  matters  little  whether  the  Union  be  saved  or  subverted; 
my  own  chapter  of  politics  closed  with  the  dead  silence 
at  the  Cincinnati  Convention;  but  it  is  natural  to  look 
somewhat  after  the  happiness  of  one's  children,  and  of  the 
friends  of  well-organized  liberty  throughout  the  world. 
I  pray  and  beseech  all  who  care  a  fig  about  my  opinion, 
to  struggle  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  against  the 
"dissolving  views"  of  Eastern  and  Anglican  abolitionists, 
until  their  tongues  can  no  longer  wag. 

All,  aye  all,  that  I  came  here  to  do  will  be  success- 
fully accomplished,  if  indeed  it  has  not  been  already 
achieved,  in  the  course  of  a  week.  The  two  countries, 
five  months  ago,  were  at  that  critical  stand  of  mutual  and 
morbid  defiance  when  a  prolonged  war  might  have  sprung 
from  a  few  more  hot  words,  ol'  the  hasty  discharge  of  a 
gun  at  sea.  People  watched  with  suspended  breath  the 
news  of  every  hour.  Americans,  all  over  the  continent 
of  Europe;  and  in  particular.  Commodore  Breese,  com- 
manding our  Mediterranean  squadron,  awaited  a  signal 
from  this  office  to  hurry  home.  Well!  it  all  changed  in 
the  lapse  of  a  month  or  six  weeks;  and  the  change  has 
advanced,  step  by  step,  until  now,  before  the  entire  expi- 
ration of  five  months,  they  who  understand  the  condition 
and  tone  of  international  relations,  gj-e  satisfied  that  a 
sounder  basis  for  mutual  harmony  and  respect  has  not 
existed  since  the  Treaty  of  '83.  I  cannot  tell  you  how  this 
has  been  brought  about.  There  is  the  fact.  I  am,  and 
always  have  been,  just  as  ready  to  fight  England  as  any 
man  living,  upon  any  adequate  and  honorable  ground. 
Still,  to  have  t3een  accessory  to  the  conversion  of  a  tick- 
lish state  of  reciprocal  rage,  springing  from  a  mere  ban- 


TO  SENATOR    G.  W.  JONES,  75 

dying  of  diplomatic  sentences,  into  calm  and  solid  good- 
will, is  destined  to  close  my  political  life  with  entire  satis- 
faction to  myself.  Wait  a  fortnight,  perhaps  a  month,  and 
you  may  then  hear  the  finality. 

I  want  3'ou  to  do  me  the  favor  to  call  upon  Judge  Ser- 
geant, and  give  him  the  warm  assurance  of  my  continued 
attachment.  He  has  never  recognized  my  appointment 
to  this  Court,  and  perhaps  it  was  contrary  to  his  sense  of 
prudence.     Write  me  often  and  "lengthily"  as  you  can. 

Always  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  45 -TO  SENATOR  G.  W.  JONES. 

London,  August  20,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  has  taken  me  a  little  time  to  find  the 
books  which  Judge  Tuthill,  in  his  letter  to  you  of  the  23d 
of  June  last,  expressed  a  wish  that  I  would  apply  the  three 
pounds  in  my  hands  to  purchasing  for  him.  I  now  send 
you  one  of  those  books,  "Memoirs  illustrative  of  the  His- 
tory and  Antiquities  of  J^orfolk  and  the  City  of  Norwich," 
and  a  single  number  of  the  reprint  going  on  of  the  other, 
to  wit,  "  The  History  of  the  Landed  Gentry,  with  Index, 
etc."  This  last  is  in  fact  out  of  print,  and  can  only  be  had 
by  instalments,  as  it  is  reprinted  in  numbers.  The  "  Me- 
moirs" cost  £1. 1. 0.  and  the  "History,"  at a  number, 

will  probably  run  the  judge  some  shillings  in  my  debt. 
He  need  not  worry  himself  about  that ; — when  I  am  out  of 
his  funds,  he  shall  frankly  be  apprised  of  it. 

We  have  kept  at  peace,  and  I  hope  we  may  continue  so. 
It  is  barely  possible,  however,  that  the  late  Congress  at 
Paris  intended  their  declaration  abolishing  Privateering 
as  the  groundwork  of  a  coercive  movement  by  a  confeder- 
acy of  European  sovereigns  against  America.  If  so,  have 
at  ye  all,  my  lads  !  Governor  Marcy's  letter  to  Sartiges 
is  unanswerably  conclusive,  and  is  a  fine  platform  upon 
which  to  fight  till  doomsday. 

Faithfully  yrs. 


76  TO  MR.  MARCY. 


No.  46 -TO  ME.  MAEOY. 


London,  August  22,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — ^You  will  perceive  by  what  I  send,  as 
well  as  by  the  newspapers  generally,  that  your  letter  to 
Count  Sartiges,  on  the  Declaration  of  the  Peace  Congress 
at  Paris  abolishing  privateering,  was  not  in  London  forty- 
eight  hours  before  it  appeared  with  an  etfective  editorial 
in  the  limning  Advertiser.  The  Times  reprinted  it  the 
foUowinfif  dav;  and  it  is  o-oino;  the  rounds,  attractino;  OTeat 
attention,  but  no  attempt  at  reply.  Let  us  hope  that  Eu- 
ropean statesmen  will  not  be  so  absurd  as  to  attempt  a 
concerted  and  combined  movement  to  coerce  our  adoption 
of  their  absolute  phrase  '■'•  Privateering  is  abolished!'''  But 
there  is  no  knowing  how  far  their  folly  may  carry  them. 
In  this  piece  of  cunning,  as  in  the  case  of  African  Slavery, 
they  shelter  their  purpose  behind  a  screen. 

I  had  hoped  to  send  you  by  this  steamer  the  Central 
American  Treaty.  It  is,  however,  not  ready  for  trans- 
mission, though  very  little  more  is  wanted  to  complete 
the  job.  It  is  thrown  into  form,  and  makes  a  longer  docu- 
ment than  it  ought  to  be.  Much  space,  however,  is  given 
to  the  details  of  appointing,  qualifying,  and  instructing 
Commissioners  for  settling  boundary,  and  adjudicating 
upon  Land  Grants. 

Mr.  Herran  has  not  yet  pocketed  his  convention  about 
the  Colony  of  the  Bay  Islands.  JSTo  doubt  he  will  have 
it  in  a  day  or  two.  The  new  Free  State  or  Municipality 
may  be  some  time  in  assuming  the  proper  shape,  and  in 
getting  fully  underway;  but  it  will  rapidly  assume  im- 
portance after  that,  especially  if,  as  will  be  quite  natural, 
our  enterprising  traders  squat  on  liuatan  ;  and  it  will  be 
recognized  as  under  the  sovereignty  (to  be  sure  the  empty 
sovereignty)  of  Honduras.  There  is  a  biizz  circulating  to 
the  effect  that  the  immense  value  and  importance  of  these 
islands  have  only  just  been  found  out,  and  that  it  is  well 
for  us  that  the  contract  has  been  made !  I  believe  the 
rumor  to  be  unfounded;  but,  in  twenty  years,  if  all  things 
go  on  steadily,  they  can  scarcely  fail  to  rise  into  an  inter- 
esting relation  with  the  commercial  and  political  world. 

Your  private  letter  of  the  4th  instant  reached  me  on  the 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  77 

18tli,  accompanied  by  six  copies  of  the  Sartiges  communi- 
cation, all  exceedingly  welcome.  I  regret  extremely  to 
hear  of  3^our  daughter's  illness.  Mr.  M.  has  repeatedly 
mentioned  it  as  very  severe  :  but  I  sincerely  hope  she  has 
recovered. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  an  outbreak  in  N'aples  is 
daily  looked  for.  The  proud  and  retaliatory  manner  in 
which  the  king  has  met  the  intervention  and  menaces  of 
England  and  France  rather  raises  him  in  one's  estimation, 
in  spite  of  his  flagitious  despotism;  but  it  will  advance 
the  movement  of  reform  by  stinging  the  reformers.  The 
critical  state  of  atiairs  in  Italy  is,  perhaps,  at  the  bottom 
of  this  ministry's  unusual  conciliation  towards  America. 

Spain,  like  a  diseased  horse,  after  kicking  out  famously 
has  sunk  again  into  forlorn  resignation. 

The  eyes  of  all  the  world  of  courtiers  are  just  now  fixed 
upon  the  Coronation  at  the  Kremlin. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  47- TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

London,  August  19,  1856. 

My  dear  Gilpin, — Your  letter  of  the  21st  July  reached 
me  yesterday. 

I  left  your  introductories,  with  my  cards,  at  Mr.  G.'s  and 
Sir  C.  F.'s.  They  are  distinguished  parts  of  the  world, 
and,  at  present,  all  the  world  is  out  of  town.  In  a  very 
little  while,  even  Lord  Clarendon  and  I  will  feel  at  liberty 
to  take  a  short  trip  beyond  the  range  of  F.  O.  servitude. 
I  hope  to  send  Mr.  Marcy  his  quietus,  that  is  a  thorough 
settlement,  by  the  same  vessel  that  carries  this.  If  I  do, 
all  that  I  expected  or  undertook  will  be  accomplished.  I 
am  afraid  the  men  who  wanted  a  tight  will  not  readily 
forgive  me.  War,  a  few  months  ago,  was  the  favorite 
word  ;  it  is  now  never  uttered,  and  with  it  have  gone  oif 
the  Bay  Islands  and  the  Protectorate,  both  beyond  the 
sovereignty  of  her  Majesty.  N'irivporte!  —  when  it  is  a 
man's  duty  to  make  peace,  he  must  close  his  heart  to  bel- 
ligerent popularity.  Besides,  as  I  have  told  Col.  Page, 
the  chapter  of  my  political  life  closed  with  the  dead  silence 
at  the  Cincinnati  Convention,  and  I  am  content  to  end 


78  TO  LORD  DONOUGHMORE. 

with  the  reputation  of  having  kept  two  bull-dogs  from 
tearing  each  other  to  pieces. 

I  shall,  one  of  these  "  calm  summer  mornings,"  indulge 
you  with  an  exposition  of  the  outside  and  the  inside  trea- 
ties, the  principles,  motives,  and  difficulties;  but  just  now, 
time  is  too  important  to  me. 

Our  best  remembrances  to  Mrs.  G.  and  to  Mr.  Van 
Buren,  and  to  Mrs.  Livingston.  We  are  all  well,  and  en- 
joying a  small  coal  fire  while  you  are  melting  under  100°  ! 
Vide  Rochefoucauld  as  to  the  miseries  of  one's  friends.  . 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 

August  22,'  1856. 

I  have  had  a  little  time  to  think  on  your  question  as  to 
the  cause  of  the  present  amicable  tone  towards  us.  It  is 
impossible  to  answer  it  upon  any  but  conjectural  grounds. 
There  may  be  serious  anticipations  as  to  the  condition  of 
Italy,  and  misgivings  suggested  by  the  extreme  courtship 
between  France  and  Russia,  but  they  are  insufficiently 
developed  just  yet.  Judging  from  obvious  indications,  I 
am  inclined  to  the  belief  that  Lord  Palmerston,  at  the 
moment  of  pressure  upon  him  two  months  ago,  bought 
the  parliamentary  representatives  of  the  industrial  classes 
to  support  his  ministry,  by  pledging  himself  to  change  his 
whole  course  of  action  as  regards  America.  The  instant 
he  performed  his  part  of  the  contract  by  retaining  me 
here,  his  majority  became  assured  and  overwhelming. 
This  has  proved  to  him  on  what  a  rock  he  plants  his  as- 
cendency when  he  conciliates  us ;  and  from  that  day,  it 
has  seemed  to  be  impossible  to  be  too  civil.  There  are, 
no  doubt,  other  co-operative  causes,  causes  which  made  it 
easy  for  him  to  bend  to  the  policy  of  the  position.  I  could 
advert  to  some  that  are  singular  enough,  but  the  basis  of 
the  whole  is,  I  am  almost  certain,  what  I  have  stated. 

My  treaty  don't  go  by  this  occasion.  Its  formalities 
are  delayed  by  official  absenteeism. 

Always  yrs. 


No.  48.-T0  LOED  DONOUGHMOEE. 

LoxDON,  August  25,  1856. 

My  Lord, — I  have  your  lordship's  letter  of  the  23d 
instant. 


TO  LORD  DONOUGHMORE.  79 

The  clistribntion  of  intestate  estates,  in  the  United 
States,  is  a  subject  of  State  or  local,  not  of  national  juris- 
diction. The  government  of  the  Union  has  nothing  to 
do  with  it.  They  have  no  right  or  power  whatever  to 
decide  to  whom  the  real  or  personal  assets  of  a  deceased 
shall  go — they  must  go  wliere  the  law  of  the  particular 
State  in  which  the  deceased  resided  or  in  which  the 
property  is  found  at  his  death,  directs  that  they  shall  go. 
Every  State  has  its  own  law  of  Escheat,  and  on  the  demise 
of  a  bastard  without  children,  wife,  or  will,  his  property 
would  legally  belong  to  the  State,  by  whose  functionaries, 
after  inquest  and  verdict,  it  would  be  taken  for  public 
use. 

Mr.  Marcy's  enquiry  had  for  its  object,  I  have  no  doubt, 
the  paj'nient  to  whomsoever  might  present  himself  au- 
thentically as  "the  personal  representative"  of  Joseph 
Manstord,  otherwise  called  Joseph  Carson,  and  therefore 
entitled  to  receive  it,  of  a  balance  of  wages  due  to  the 
deceased  as  a  seaman  in  the  American  service;  or  it  may 
be  that  the  consul  of  the  United  States,  at  Shanghai, 
Robert  C,  Murphy,  Esq.,  has  taken  charge  of  the  effects 
and  money  left  by  Joseph  Carson,  and  has  requested  Mr. 
Marcy  to  ascertain  who  are  "the  personal  representatives" 
to  whom  these  effects  and  money  may  be  transmitted. 
This  latter  supposition  is  the  more  probable. 

What  then  should  Peter  Carson  do  ?  He  has  legaUy  as 
much  right  to  claim  the  effects  and  money  of  the  bastard 
as  his  father  has,  and  that  is  no  right  at  all.  But  he  can 
acquire  a  right  by  becoming  "the  personal  representa- 
tive" of  the  deceased,  in  other  words,  by  having  himself 
appointed  the  administrator  to  his  estate.  If  by  having 
reared  and  educated  Joseph,  or  in  any  other  way,  he  can 
claim  to  be  a  creditor  of  the  estate,  he  is  entitled  to  be  pre- 
ferred as  administrator  to  John  Carson.  If  nothing  gives 
him  a  preference,  he  can  still  claim  the  administration, 
provided  John  Carson  has  not  got  ahead  of  him  and 
already  taken  out  the  letters.  Mr.  Marcy  or  the  consul  at 
Shanghai  would  probably  pay  the  money  or  give  the 
effects  to  au}^  one  who  proved  his  character  as  "personal 
representative"  by  presenting  a  certificate  under  official 
seal  and  signature  of  his  appointment. 

And  lohere  and  Jiow  is  Peter  Carson  to  have  himself  con- 
stituted the  administrator  to  Joseph's  estate? 


80  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

Where? — The  proper  pkce  is  the  city  or  county  in  the 
United  States  in  which  Joseph  last  resided  before  he 
entered  upon  his  last  voyage. 

How? — Application  must  be  made  to  the  Register  of 
Wills,  or  other  proper  local  officer,  the  facts  stated,  the 
necessary  surety  given,  etc. 

If  Peter  Carson  cannot  quit  home  to  attend  to  this 
matter  in  person,  he  can  authorize  some  one  else  as  his 
attorney  in  fact  to  have  the  thing  done;  to  get  the  cer- 
tificate of  his  appointment  as  administrator;  to  forward 
that  certificate  or  a  duplicate  of  it  to  Mr.  Marcy,  either  for 
his  own  action  or  for  transmission  to  Mr.  Murphy  at 
Shanghai;  to  receive  the  efi'ects  or  money;  and,  after 
paying  all  expenses  and  settling  all  accounts  in  exonera- 
tion of  his  surety,  to  remit  the  residue  of  the  fund  to  Mr. 
Peter  Carson. 

I  believe  I  have  communicated  all  the  information 
your  lordship  desires  to  possess.  Let  me,  however,  add 
what  my  experience  in  similar  cases  has  taught  me  to 
believe,  that  in  all  likelihood  Joseph  has  not  left  behind 
him  more  than  a  few  months'  wages  and  a  sea-chest  of 
old  clothes,  the  aggregate  value  of  which  would  not  com- 
pensate Mr.  Peter  Carson  for  one-tenth  of  the  trouble 
and  expense  which  he  would  necessarily  incur  in  their 
pursuit. 

I  shall  be  happy  at  all  times  to  hear,  upon  this  or  any 
other  subject,  from  your  lordship. 

Yery  respectfully,  your  lordship's 

Most  obedient  servant. 


Fo.  49 -TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  August  26,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  engrossment  of  the  Central  Ameri- 
can Treaty  is  going  on,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  I  shall 
be  able  to  send  it  to  you  by  the  Arabia  on  Saturday  next, 
the  30th  instant. 

I  had  my  last  discussion  on  this  topic  at  the  F.  0. 
yesterday.  An  attentive  examination  of  the  phraseology 
of  the  treaty  and  separate  article  will  shew  you  that  I 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  81 

have  kept  constantly  in  mind  the  principles  of  your  in- 
structions, an.d  where  their  open  recognition  does  not  ap- 
pear substantively,  words  are  used  which  create  for  thera 
a  necessar}'  implication. 

Lord  C.  is  bound  to  escort  the  Queen  on  her  journey  to 
Scotland.  Her  Majesty  leaves  here  the  day  after  to-mor- 
row. She  became  very  sick  on  her  last  aquatic  excursion, 
and  now  forswears  the  sea.  He  has  positively  pro*niised 
to  summon  me  to  sign  our  concocted  instrument  in  the 
course  of  to-morrow. 

I  have  just  had  a  long,  agreeable,  and  interesting  visit 
from  Count  Kreptovitch,  the  new  Russian  Minister  to  this 
Court.  I  knew  him  at  St.  Petersburg  in  the  time  of  my 
mission  there.  He  is  the  son-in-law  of  Nesselrode,  whom 
he  described  as  in  full  health  and  vigor  of  intellect.  He 
intimated  that  he  had  met  with  a  rather  cold  reception 
here,  owing  he  presumed  to  his  dilatoriness  in  coming. 
He  told  me  that  the  impression  on  the  Continent  is  that 
the  Emperor  of  France  labors  under  some  serious  disease 
which  he  does  not  possess  the  constitutional  strength  to 
throw  oif; — "And  then,"  he  exclaimed,  "what,  in  the 
name  of  Heaven,  is  to  become  of  France!"  He  expressed 
in  very  strong  terms  his  admiration  of  your  letter  to 
Sartiges  on  privateering;  said  that  as  the  argument  of  a 
statesman,  it  was  conclusive;  and  that  his  opinion  was 
entirely  with  3'ou.  During  the  last  three  years,  Count 
Kreptovitch  has  been  minister  at  Brussels,  a  place  that  he 
regrets  leaving. 

I  intend  introducing  to  you  Sir  Henry  Holland,  who 
goes  out  by  the  Arabia.  He  is,  in  every  respect,  a  most 
estimable  as  well  as  eminent  person,  and  withal  a  court 
and  nobility  physician.  He  will  hardly  stop  a  day  at 
Washington,  if  he  get  there  at  all.  He  returns  to  London 
in  six  or  eight  weeks.  I  wish  him  very  much  to  see  the 
President,  yourself,  and  General  Davis. 

London  is  the  depth  of  dulness  and  emptiness. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


82  TO  MR.  MARCY 


No.  50.-T0  MR.  MAEOT. 

London,  September  9,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  22d  August  by  the 
Canada  reached  me  on  Sunday  the  7th  instant,  and  we 
are  all  much  gratified  at  your  telling  us  of  the  improved 
condition  of  your  daughter. 

I  notice  in  our  newspapers  a  number  of  things  said 
about  the  Central  American  negotiation  and  about  my- 
self personally,  which  are  utterly  absurd  and  without 
foundation.  The  invention  about  that  intelligent  Albino, 
Mr.  Lowe,  is  one  of  these,  as  you  have  already  found. 
He  is  quite  too  distinguished  and  respectable  a  gentleman 
to  be  supposed  capable  of  having  connived  at  his  suppos- 
ititious mission.  Then,  that  nonsense  about  a  letter  to 
me  from  fifty  or  more  members  of  Parliament: — all  trash. 
You  are  entirely  right  in  taking  it  for  granted  that 
nothing  of  this  sort  can  be  true  which  is  not  adverted  to 
in  my  despatches  or  letters. 

I  am  much  relieved  by  the  Canada's  mail  from  the 
anxiety  about  our  political  extravagance,  created  by  that 
of  the  Arago.  It  would  seem  almost  certain  that  a  con- 
gressional arrangement  on  the  Army  Bill  has  been 
accomplished. 

1  went  to  the  great  Cutlers'  Festival  at  Sheffield  on  the 
4th  instant.  You  will  see  the  account  of  it  in  the  news- 
papers. The  report  of  my  remarks,  though  inaccurate  in 
one  or  two  places,  is  as  a  whole  quite  good  enough  to 
submit  to.  Some  of  the  reporters,  with  Yankee  cute- 
ness,  interpolate  Cuba  for  Oude,  and  introduce  the  phrase 
"infinitely  more  praiseworthy,"  as  applied  to  Texas  and 
Cuba  annexation!  Small  artifice!  The  speeches  of  the 
Duke  of  ISTew^castle  and  Mr.  Roebuck  are  interesting  as 
matters  of  political  development  and  degladiation.  They 
have  given  rise  to  numerous  newspaper  columns.  Mr. 
Roebuck  I  found  to  be,  in  Sheffield  particularly,  in  the 
enjoyment  of  an  immense  and  boisterous  popularity.  He 
is  universally  praised  for  ability  and  independence;  and 
yet  he  had  accepted  a  day  or  two  before  a  present  of 
£1000,  raised  by  subscription,  headed  by  Lord  Palmer- 
ston!  Sheffield  is  ultra-American,  On  the  arrival  of" 
your  minister,  the  church-bells  were  rung,  and  the  flag 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  83 

of  the  ITnited  States  was  floated  from  the  public  hall,  and 
from  where  I  took  up  my  quarters.  The  firt;t  aspect 
of  the  town  is  that  of  Pittsburg,  smoky,  dirty,  dingy,  and 
noisy.  The  suburbs  are  beautiful,  hills  richly  cultivated 
and  adorned  with  handsome  villas.  I  ran  through  their 
principal  "works,"  cutlery,  plate,  and  steel,  and  found 
the  crowds  of  workmen  just  as  ardently  fond  of  us  as 
their  employers.  The  distance  from  London  is  about 
170  miles,  which  I  flew  over  in  four  hours  and  a  quarter. 
There  is  some  activity  shewn  to  remove  the  prevailing 
impression  that  the  Emperor  of  the  French  labors  under 
serious  malady.  Mr.  B  ,  who  is  a  warm  personal  friend 
of  his  Majesty,  whom  he  once  went  bail  for  when  arrested 
by  the  police  in  this  city,  adverts  to  letters  from  Paris 
that  deny  the  story.  And  yet  everything  indicates  that 
there  is  something  in  it.  Some  shrewd  folks  hint  a  soft- 
ening of  the  brain!  So  much  depends  upon  maintaining 
his  jwestige  just  now,  that,  if  he  be  really  ill,  we  shall  be 
kept  ignorant  of  it  as  long  as  possible.  He  dances,  it  is 
said,  with  great  animation  every  night  at  Biarritz;  but 
for  a  month  or  six  weeks  there  has  been  an  impenetrable 
and  mysterious  cloud  about  his  statesmanship.  ^'■Ilais, 
nous  vcrrons,"  as  your  old  friend  of  '98  used  to  say.  At 
the  reception  lately  of  a  recently  formed  municipal 
council,  he  was  "quite  odd;"  unable  to  make  a  rational 
address,  and  suddenly  in  a  trembling  fit  breaking  out 
with  "  y/ye  VEinpereur!''' 

Truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  51 -TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

LoNDOK,  September  19,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  "  quite  odd  "  (a  fashionable  English 
comment)  that  one  should  be  living  in  London,  and  yet 
have  nothing  to  send  to  Washington,  more  than  three 
thousand  five  hundred  miles  oft',  in  the  shape  of  news 
political,  social  or  diplomatic.  Such,  however,  is  my 
momentary  status;  and  it  is  ascribable  as  much  to  the 
constancy  and  frequency  with  which  I  have  written  to 
you,  as  to  the  universal  nap  the  world  is  taking.     I'm 


84  TO  MR.  31ARCY. 

exhausted,  and  I  suspect  your  patience  is  in  the  like  pre- 
dicament. 

The  Post  said  a  few  days  ago  that  if  Russia  were  not 
faithful  to  the  Treaty  of  Peace,  England  must  bring  her 
to  her  senses,  and  could  do  so  even  though  unassisted  by 
another  power.  So,  so,  says  the  Constituiionnel,  you  begin  to 
doubt  France !  be  it  so.  Russia  is  a  great  and  glorious 
nation,  her  monarch  and  nobles  worthy  of  all  praise! 
and  as  for  you,  bah!  you  talk  too  big!  There  are  occa- 
sionally apparent  other  symptoms  which  indicate  the  pos- 
sibilit}^  of  our  seeing,  one  of  these  days,  a  revival  of  the 
Continental  system  against  "perfidious  Albion." 

The  Coronation  at  the  Kremlin  is  certainly  a  very 
different  display  from  our  inauguration  at  the  Capitol. 
The  first  appeals  to  the  eyes,  the  second  to  the  ears;  so 
that  if  Horace  be  correct  {segnius  irritant  animos),  the  Im- 
perial pageant  is  more  permanently  impressive  than  the 
Presidential  one.  I  should  like  to  know  the  effect  pro- 
duced upon  our  republican  representative,  Mr.  Seymour; 
— strongly  suspected  to  have  been  one  of  intense  fatigue. 
And  yet,  listen  you  great  progressive  nineteenth  cen- 
tury! there  are  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  millions 
of  bewitched  bipeds  called  men,  Avho  think  of  nothing, 
read  of  nothing,  talk  of  nothing,  gaze  on  nothing,  but  the 
robes,  the  jewels,  the  bows,  the  holy  oil,  the  illuminations, 
the  serfs,  and  squadrons  of  the  Czar!  It  gave  me  great 
pleasure  to  hear  from  our  returning  consul.  Colonel 
Reilly,  that  you  had  spared  Mr.  Seymour  the  ruin  of  wit- 
nessing and  partaking  this  orientally  gorgeous  display  by 
assuming  his  expenses.  Lord  Clarendon  is  still  in  Scot- 
land. Lord  Palmerston  flits  backwards  and  forwards 
every  day  or  two,  between  Downing  Street  and  St. 
Leonards  on  Sea.  The  rest  of  the  ministry  are  every- 
where, or  nowhere. 

I  have  hinted  to  Mr.  Alvarado,  minister  to  the  United 
States  from  Honduras,  that  he  would  act  wisely  if,  now 
that  the  matter  is  over  here,  he  were  to  present  himself  at 
Washington,  for  reception  by  the  President. 

Nothing  yet  about  a  successor  to  Mr.  Crampton,  ex- 
cept, perhaps,  the  speech  of  Mr.  Baxter  who,  although 
very  nearly  an  opposition  member,  singled  out  as  emi- 
nentl}'  fit,  Mr.  Villiers,  Lord  Clarendon's  brother.  He 
would  undoubtedly  do  admirably,  as  I  think  I  have  here- 
tofore said. 


TO  ME.  MARCr.  85 

John  Frost  and  the  Chartists !  A  more  wretched  ex- 
hibition, as  they  passed  the  legation  on  their  wa^^  to  Prim- 
rose Hill,  it  would  be  difficult  to  depict.  Our  mass- 
meetings,  in  town  or  township,  are  coronation  crowds  in 
comparison.  When  you  stir  the  dregs  or  sediment  of  any 
European  community,  the  show  is  saddening.  Our  alms- 
houses would  do  better. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  52.-T0  MK.  MAKOY. 

London,  September  24,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  hardly  worth  while,  and  j-et  it  is 
perhaps  best,  as  a  matter  of  extreme  precaution,  that  I 
should  send  you  the  two  copies  of  notes  that  accompany 
this,  especially  as  I  have  scarcely  matter  wherewith  to  fill 
a  page. 

You  see,  this  business  of  passports  exacts  great  vigi- 
lance and  good  humor  from  your  representatives.  There 
are  touchy  men  even  in  frocks,  who  think  they  ought  at 
once  to  be  granted  whatever  they  ask,  and  who  misun- 
derstand everything  when  kindled  by  a  little  scrutiny. 
Having  carelessly  neglected  to  provide  or  pack  up  the  au- ' 
thentic  proofs  of  character,  they  are  angry  with  them- 
selves, and  snappishly  vent  themselves  on  others.  The 
poor  fellow  in  this  case  will,  I  hope,  smooth  down  his  in- 
dignation, and  furnish  me  with  some  sort  of  apology  for 
giving  him  the  passport,  even  against  the  judgment  of 
the  Secretary.  If  not,  and  he  wants  to  make  a  rumpus, 
why,  you  have  the  means  of  appreciating  him. 

The  absence  from  London  to  which  I  refer  was  during 
a  visit  of  a  few  days  to  Sir  E.  B.  Lytton,  at  his  resi- 
dence about  twenty-seven  miles  off.  He  kept  me  a  day 
or  two  longer  than  I  intended,  to  have  me  at  the  agricul- 
tural meeting  of  his  county.  The  newspapers  contain, 
as  usual,  reports  of  what  was  said  and  done,  at  least  sub- 
stantially.* 

*  DiAKY :  1st  October,  1856. — "The  week  before  this  last  was  spent  by- 
Mrs.  D.,  Susan,  Philip,  and  myself  at  Knebworth,  the  charming  residence 


86  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

Your  old  cabinet  colleague  and  present  diplomatic  em- 
ploye, Mr.  J.  Y.  Mason,  is  here,  and  dined  with  me  yes- 

of  Sir  Edward  Bulwer  Lytton,  the  novelist,  poet,  and  statesman,  in  Hert- 
fordshire. A  more  interesting  piece  of  antiquity  (our  bedroom  and  bed- 
stead had  been  occupied  by  Queen  Elizabeth  when  preparing  to  receive 
the  Spanish  Arm/ida)  I  have  not  come  across: — spacious  lialls,  picture  gal- 
leries, ancient  armor,  old  oak  staircase,  and  grotesque  monsters  numberless. 
It  is  seated  within  and  domineers  over  some  thousand  acres  of  park, 
woodland,  garden,  and  farm.  No  wonder  this  man  writes  so  exquisitely, 
on  the  margin  of  his  own  lake,  in  a  retired  cottage,  and  with  all  the  ap- 
pliances of  comfort,  silence,  and  sweet  air  about  him  !  I  found  him  the 
very  soul  of  hospitality,  a  republican  in  his  philosophy,  a  polished  gen- 
tleman, and  yet  made  by  domestic  trials  peculiar,  if  not  somewhat  eccen- 
tric. He  has  a  son  attached  to  the  British  legation  at  the  Hague,  already 
a  remarkable  writer.  He  pines  over  the  loss  of  a  beautiful  daughter  of 
15  ;  and  his  wife,  reputed  quite  impracticably  singular,  though  very  tal- 
ented, won't  live  near  him.  He  is  laboriously  intent  on  high  political 
fame  and  position,  which,  as  an  M.  P.,  he  cannot  fail  to  reach.  He  per- 
suaded me  to  accompany  him  to  his  county  agricultural  dinner  in  Hitchin, 
where  they  treated  me  '  e/t  ambassndeiir,'  and  I  briefly  addressed  five 
hundred  farmers.  The  Hertford  Mercii?-i/,  reporting  this  banquet,  said, 
into'  alia  : 

"  Mr.  Dallas,  on  rising,  was  received  with  a  perfect  hurricane  of  ap- 
plause. When  the  cheering  had  subsided,  he  addressed  the  assembly  as 
follows : 

"  Gentlemen, — It  is  impossible  for  me  to  allow  the  flattering  manner  in 
which  3'ou  have  received  the  toast  so  kindly  introduced  by  the  distinguished 
gentleman  who  presides  to  pass  without  the  expression  of  my  warmest 
thanks.  A  stranger  to  you  all,  I  deeply  feel  the  hospitality  of  your  wel- 
come; though,  in  truth,  my  short  experience  in  England  has  given  me 
more  than  reason  enough  to  expect  it.  (Cheers.)  For  the  generous  allusion 
made  to  the  institutions,  the  progress,  and  the  prospects  of  my  country, 
let  me  also  return,  in  my  public  as  well  as  in  my  private  character,  the 
most  cordial  acknowledgments.  (Cheers.)  Youthful  among  nations,  and 
perhaps,  in  the  estimation  of  many  whom  I  address,  far  from  faultless, 
she  has,  nevertheless,  undeniably  achieved  in  the  general  cause  of  civili- 
zation, in  science,  in  art,  in  meclianics,  in  human  elevation  and  improve- 
ment, what  may  well  justify  encomiums  from  such  enlightened,  discrim- 
inating, and  candid  men.  (Cheers.)  In  no  sphere  of  social  action  are  the 
United  States  better  entitled  to  your  esteem  than  in  the  very  one  with 
which  this  banquet  is  connected.  They  recognize  their  agricultural  in- 
terest— their  planters  and  their  farmers — as  their  predominant  interest — 
the  interest  that  wields  the  power,  originates  the  wealth,  cherishes  the 
manly  freedom,  and  ])romotes  the  happiness  of  their  entire  people.  (Cheers. ) 
You  can  make  no  advance  on  that  subject  which  will  not  meet  with  their 
sympathy  and  co-operation.  In  the  vast  valley  of  the  Mississijipi,  amid 
measureless  plains  of  exhaustless  fertility,  millions  of  my  countrymen 
accept,  as  the  noblest  of  human  i)ursuits,  the  cultivation  of  their  own 
soil.  (Hear,  hoar.)  With  them  their  chief  aim  and  delight  is  to  stock 
their  ftxrms  with  cattle  of  the  best  breeds  ;  and  they  hail,  as  more  worthy 
of  their  gratitude  and  their  applause  than  military  exploits  and  political 
victories,  every  onward  step  in  ])racti('al  husbandry.  (Cheers.)  I  wish, 
gentlemen,  I  felt  comiietent  and  at  lil)erty  to  engage  a  few  moments  of 
your  attention  in  adverting  to  American  movements  similar  to  your  own. 


TO  MR.  MARCF.  87 

terday.  I  have  not  seen  him  since  leaving  Washington 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1849.  His  health  seems  restored, 
and  his  vivacity  as  quick  and  agreeable  as  ever;  but  he 
walks  awkwardly,  and  forbears  the  use  of  his  left  arm. 
We  talked  politics,  home  and  foreign,  until  tired  out; 
and,  with  the  exception  of  his  very  exalted  admiration 
of  certain  French  personages,  we  chimed  in  sentiment 
.pretty  harmoniously.  We  agree  in  the  belief  that  the 
success  of  Fremont  is  an  unimaginable  visitation  of  Prov- 
idence. He  returns  to  Paris  to-morrow,  having  crossed 
the  channel  only  to  execute,  with  the  formality  required 
by  Virginia  law,  a  deed  of  Conveyance  before  the  Lord 
Mayor.  . 

It  is  rumored  and  understood  that  a  small  squadron  of 
French  and  English  vessels  is  about  anchoring  before 
Naples.  The  pretext  is  to  be  to  protect  the  persons  and 
property  of  their  respective  subjects  as  soon  as  diplomatic 
relations  are  suspended.  In  reality  the  purpose  is  to  secure 
the  Emperor  L.  ISTapoleon  from  the  contagion  of  a  violent 
outbreak  in  Italy,  by  being  there  as  overawing  mediators 
between  King  Bomba  and  his  people.  The  principle  of 
non-intervention  will  be  actually  violated,  but  ostensibly 
avoided. 

I  suppose  our  cabinet  is  about  as  much  dispersed  as  is 
the  cabinet  here,  and  that  I  may  not  hear  the  fruits  of 
consultation  as  early  as  I  should  like ;  but  I  still  flatter' 
myself  with  hope  of  something  by  the  Persia,  due  to- 
morrow. The  condition  of  affairs  in  Kansas  is,  at  this 
distance,  and  by  the  Times.,  monstrously  exaggerated,  and 
I  wait  for  accurate  news  impatiently 

Always  most  respectfully  and  truly. 

They  ure  numerous  in  every  separate  State  of  our  confederacy.  Impelled, 
as  here,  by  the  highest  intellect  and  the  truest  patriotism,  their  combined 
results  might  be  regarded  as  an  offering  not  wholly  unworthy  of  your 
acceptance.  (Cheers.)  But  I  cannot  venture  so  far  ;  and,  although  I  am 
really  sensible  that  an  interchange  of  agricultural  reports  would  consti- 
tute a  powerful  bond  of  national  amity  and  peace,  still  I  shrink,  under 
the  warning  of  one  of  your  own  venerable  proverbs,  to  which  my  Lord 
Hamlet  migh  tapply  his  epithet  of  'somewhat  musty,'  inculcating  the 
folly  or  futility  of  carrying  coals  to  Newcastle.  (Laughter  and  cheers.) 
Gentlemen,  I  renew  and  repeat  the  expression  of  my  thanks,  and  will 
now  give  you  the  only  good  thing  whicla  belongs  to  my  address,  in  the 
shape  of  a  sentiment :  'All  honor  and  success  to  the  Agricultural  Society 
of  Hertfordshire.'  (Loud  cheers.)" 


88  TO  LORD   ELLESMERE. 


No.  53 -TO  ME.  MIDDLETON. 

24  Portland  Place,  September  27,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  note  of  the  19tli  instant  would 
have  had  an  immediate  answer  but  that  it  reached  me  in 
the  country,  whence  I  have  only  just  returned. 

Of  course,  and  I  might  have  supposed  without  a  mo- 
ment's hesitation,  you  can  refer  any  one  to  me  upon  the 
subject  of  your  proposed  publication.  It  will  give  me 
pleasure,  as  far  as  it  may  be  in  my  power,  to  inspire  those 
who  do  not  know  you,  with  the  coniidence  of  those  who  do. 

I  happened  at  the  receipt  of  your  letter  to  be  among 
gentlemen  whose  works  made  me  sure  of  their  being  ex- 
perienced in  regard  to  London  publishers:  and,  without 
adverting  to  my  purpose  at  all,  I  took  occasion  to  encpiire 
as  to  the  best  direction.  They  were  unanimous  in  the 
opinion  that  a  volume  of  about  the  size  of  yours,  and  on 
a  speculative  topic,  would  run  the  risk  of  falling  still-born 
from  the  press,  if  put  into  the  hands  of  a  C'dy  publisher. 
I  am  no  judge  of  the  soundness  of  this  opinion,  but  think 
it  best  to  mention  it.  Mr.  Murra}^  in  Albemarle  Street, 
was  greatly  preferred.  In  the  present  preposterously 
confident  anticipation  in  England,  that  the  knell  of  our 
Union  has  rung  in  Kansas,  you  may  possibly  find  it  diffi- 
cult to  get  any  one  to  give  to  your  subject  the  zealous  in- 
troduction it  deserves.  It  really  seems  to  me  that  the 
political  structure  and  social  temperament  of  our  country 
are  less  understood  by  those  who  indefatigably  claiih  to 
be  our  kindred  than  by  any  other  people. 

I  am  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  54.-T0  LOED  ELLESMEEE. 

24  Portland  Place,  September  28,  1856. 

My  dear  Lord  Ellesmere, — Many  thanks  for  your  in- 
dulgence towards  my  venturing  on  an  effort  to  obtain  ad- 
mission at  Bridgewater  House  for  a  specially  recommended 
countryman  of  mine.     I  knew  of  your  absence,  but  felt 


TO  MR.  MARGY.  89 

perfectly  assured  that  his  was  a  ease  which  would  greatly 
extenuate  the  liberty  I  took.  He  is  an  artist  of  uncom- 
mon merit.  Some  of  his  paintings,  in  their  characteristics 
resembling  those  of  the  Russian  Orloffsky,  are  exceedingly 
fine;  and  he  gives  every  promise  of  reaching  an  excellence 
equal  if  not  superior  to  that  of  his  fellow-townsman, 
Leslie;  for  both  are  from  my  home,  Philadelphia.  His 
name  is  Rothermel,  and  he  is  travelling  for  the  first  time 
in  eager  pursuit  of  the  masterpieces  of  his  art.  As  he  re- 
turns from  Italy  and  Germany,  for  he  cannot  afford  a  long 
suspension  of  labor,  I  will  make  another  attempt  at  your 
Gallery,  under  the  encouragement  your  kind  note  has 
given. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  55.-T0  ME.  MAROY. 

London,  October  3,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir  — The  Roman  Catholic  clergyman,  Mr.  F., 
of  whose  angry  missive  about  his  passport  I  inflicted  upon 
you  a  copy,  cooled  upon  getting  my  letter,  and  very  frankly 
came  to  beg  pardon  for  his  folly,  and  to  make  himself  very 
ai>:reeable  by  his  vivacity  and  intelligence.  I  was  not  sorry 
to  hear  him  say  that  the  F.  O.,  which  never  recognizes  our 
naturalization  of  her  Majesty's  subjects,  gave  him  a  pass- 
port immediately  as  a  native  Irishman;  for  it  was  still  im- 
possible for  him  to  adduce  a  scintilla  to  warrant  my  grant- 
ing one. 

You  have  narrowly  escaped  a  formal  despatch  by  this 
occasion ;  but  you  shall  have  it  soon,  I  promise  you.  Lord 
Clarendon  has  written  me  a  note  respecting  a  Mr.  Smith, 
our  consul  recently  appointed  to  Londonderry,  whose 
wild  advertisement  for  "30,000  laborers"  and  for  the  sale 
of  "  millions  of  acres"  in  Iowa,  seems  to  have  "riled"  the 
political  economy  of  Downing  Street.  I  have  invoked 
explanation  and  defence  from  our  splashing  representative, 
and  hope  to  tranquillize  the  "labor  market"  of  her  Ma- 
jesty before  any  fresh  dido  is  kicked  up.  You  shall  enjoy 
the  entire  muss,  solemnly  set  out,  on  a  future  da3^ 

Captain  Pendergrast  of  the  Merrimac,  and  his  Lieuten- 

VOL.  I. — 7 


90  TO  MR.  MARCr. 

ant,  Jones,  dined  with  me  yesterday.  This  noble  ship,  tell 
Mr.  Dobbin,  is  attracting  much  attention.  But  (and  make 
my  apologies  for  venturing  the  suggestion)  why  is  she  to 
winter  at  Brest  in  preference  to  Cherbourg?  Every  na- 
tional purpose  would  seem  far  more  attainable  at  the  latter 
than  the  former.  I  am  extremely  anxious  to  pay  her  a 
very  formal  visit ;  for  in  sober  truth,  I  have  ''itching  ears" 
for  the  booming  of  American  cannon  in  British  waters. 
The  Captain,  however,  may  be  kept  in  London  for  a  fort- 
night. 

Every  sunrise  is  expected  to  throw  light  upon  the  min- 
isterial policy  as  to  Naples.  We  are  kept  in  quite  an  in- 
teresting state  of  suspense.  Now  we  have  the  fleets  in  the 
Bay,  and  now  we  haven't.  Now  Austria  intimates  dis- 
sent, and  now  she  don't.  Then  Russia  backs  up  Bomba, 
and  Prussia,  but  then  again  neither  does.  Some  say 
Clarendon's  dogmatic  and  pragmatic  violence  will  push 
on  to  another  war ;  but  more  hint  that  Lord  Palmerston 
shews  the  white  feather,  and  would  back  out  if  Louis 
Napoleon  would  let  him.  The  leading  men  of  the  Oppo- 
sition take  courage  and  hope  from  this  intervention,  which, 
they  say,  will  break  down  the  administration,  whether  it 
be  carried  out  or  shabbily  withdrawn  from.  In  the  mean- 
time, the  Ominous  and  Anonymous  bulletins  of  imperial 
illness  are  still  circulating  in  defiance  of  every  eflbrt  to 
stop  them;  his  Majesty  is  coming,  but  not  yet  come,  to 
Paris : — he  is  in  good  health,  goes  to  operas,  concerts, 
baths,  and  reviews:  — "  wiaz's,  e/i  honime  cretat,  il  se  re- 
2)ose!" 

Lord  C.  has  left  the  Queen,  but  is  visiting  about,  and 
may  not  get  to  the  F.  0.  for  a  week. 

I  hope  to  hear  by  the  next  steamer  your  idea  of  the 
Central  American  arrangement,  and  that  your  daughter 
is  restored  to  health. 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  56.-TO  ME.  MAKOT. 

London,  October  10,  1856. 

My  dear  Sm, — Some  of  the  suggested  modifications  of  the 
projet  underwent  early  discussion,  were  thought  to  enter  into 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  91 

unnecessary  detail,  were  not  regarded  as  material  enougli 
to  insist  upon,  and  at  all  events  were  made  to  yield  to  the 
pressure  of  an  anxiety  to  get  on,  before  anything  should 
occur  to  change  the  disposition  to  give  up  the  Bay  Islands. 
This  surrender  involved,  as  it  appeared  to  me,  so  striking 
a  triumph  to  the  American  cause  and  argument,  that  I 
was  prepared  to  do,  or  omit  doing,  almost  anything  to 
secure  its  final  accomplishment: — especially  as  I  knew, 
that  when  once  done  it  could  not  be  undone,  and  that  my 
own  more  direct  work  with  Lord  C.  was  a  mere  projet  ad 
referendum.  Had  there  been  any  serious  delay,  I  now  know 
that  the  apprehended  mischief  would  have  occurred.  I 
don't  despair  of  having  your  improvements  incorporated, 
but  there  will  be  difficulty,  grumbling,  and  procrastina- 
tion. 

That  Londonderry  consul!  Poor  fellow!  he  wants  to 
make  money  and  therefore  made  a  noise.  And  the  grav- 
ity with  which  disturbance  in  '■'■the  labor  market'  is  pre- 
dicated of  such  a  pufling  bulletin  is  really  worthy  of  those 
circumlocution  chambers,  the  Colonial  Department  and 
the  F.  O.  A  genuine  rough  and  tumble  and  yelling 
hoosier,  kicking  up  his  heels  amid  the  solemnities  of  oflice 
in  this  region  of  the  globe,  necessarily  frightens  all  the 
red  tapists,  and  makes  every  venerable  political  economist 
peer  from  under  his  eyebrows  and  shake  ominously  his 
theorizing  noddle!  I  wish,  however,  that  our  wild  func- 
tionary wrote  better  English,  especially  as  he  seems  in- 
clined to  enter  upon  the  patriotic  labor  of  lecturing  (on 
invitation!  ahem!)  upon  America!  Give  the  man  a 
chance,  my  Lord  C,  and  don't  cut  him  down  for  a  single 
exuberant  caper.  He  is  utterly  unknown  to  me,  though 
hailing  from  Philadelphia,  and  of  a  name  belonging  to  a 
most  extensive  family  there  and  everywhere. 

The  oscillating  funds  in  Paris  keep  the  mercantile  com- 
munity here  in  great  anxiety.  Some  of  the  political  quid- 
nuncs, too,  see  in  the  Bank  panic  and  its  incidents,  of  an 
attempt  to  force  paper  and  to  prevent  a  premium  on  silver, 
an  approaching  revolution.  The  Emperor  has  at  last  got 
back  to  Paris,  and  certainly  he  seems  already  to  have 
shewn  that  he  has  carried  with  him  an  unimpaired  mind : — 
for  he  peremptorily  objected  to  the  Bank  project.  Still, 
the  workmen  are  beginning  to  complain,  and  to  press  up 
to  him!     Nothing  to  do,  high  rents,  and  bread  rising ! 


92  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

I  think  the  symptoms  indicate  that  the  intervention  at 
Naples  will  "fizzle"  out,  and  leave  the  King  at  liberty  to 
imprison,  starve,  and  kill,  as  his  fears  or  whims  may  dic- 
tate. Austria  appeals  the  question  to  the  reconvened 
Congress  of  Paris :  that  is  plausible,  will  give  time,  will 
check  Lord  Palmerston,  will  reunite  the  three  absolutist 
Emperors  and  Prussia,  and  will  give  Lord  Clarendon  an 
opportunity  to  explain  and  back  down.  The  Lazzaroni  are 
with  King  Bomba,  and  the  appearance  of  the  fleets  in  the 
beautiful  Bay  might  produce  a  popular  outbreak  fatal  to 
English  and  French  residents. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem,  I  wholly  forgot,  until  reminded 
a  few  days  ago,  that  1  possessed  by  law  the  life  privilege 
of  franking! 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  57.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  October  14,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Our  consular  representative  at  London- 
derry may  be  considered  in  smooth  water  again.  My 
communication  to  the  Foreign  Ofiice,  of  which  my  last 
despatch  presented  you  a  copy,  appeased  the  ruffled  plu- 
mage of  the  Colonial  Department,  and  the  matter  drops. 
I  have,  however,  taken  the  liberty  to  hint  to  Mr.  Smith 
that  his  notices  hereafter  should  be  somewhat  more  meas- 
ured and  guarded. 

It  is  quite  extraordinary  with  what  unanimity,  and  yet 
I  must  confess  with  what  moderation  of  tone,  the  success 
of  Fremont  is  here  wished  and  expected.  What  good  he 
is  to  do  them,  one  cannot  perceive;  and,  after  all,  unless 
assisted  by  greater  rashness  on  our  own  part  than  can  be 
reasonably  anticipated,  he  will  not  be  able,  in  the  face  of 
the  Senate,  to  do  his  country  serious  harm. 

I  shall  give  myself  henceforward  and*  exclusively  to 
eftbrts  to  carry  your  amendments  to  the  projet,  and  you 
need  not  ex[>ect  to  be  worried  by  my  eye-straining  pen- 
manship until  I  am  able  to  send  the  perfected  treaty,  or 
despair  of  it.  I  sometimes  think  that  you  have  aimed  at 
more  perfection  in  the  instrument  than  was  practically 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  93 

important  or  necessary ;  but  your  points  are  undoubtedly 
improvements,  and  shall  be  pressed  "  until  my  eyelids  can 
no  longer  wag."  My  father's  favorite  inculcation  was 
"attempt  the  impossible,  and  you'll  achieve  the  highly 
difficult."     So,  here  goes  ! 

I  see  that  you  and  Sir.  H.  H.  have  been  "nobbing." 
Pray,  if  you  have  still  a  chance,  hint  to  him  that  he  is 
bound  to  feturn  home  ;  for  I  have  not  been  well  for  a  fort- 
night, and  was  obliged  to  send  for  another  physician. 

Naples  in  nuhibus  still.  The  policy  of  "passivity" — that 
is,  Louis  Napoleon  letting  England  do  the  job  while  he 
merely  looks  on,  will  probably  prevail.  The  coalition  of 
Russia,  Prussia,  and  Austria  to  shield  Bomba,  only  exas- 
perates the  ministry  here  to  obstinacy  and  action.  Soon, 
the  ball  will  have  rolled  beyond  their  reach. 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  58 -TO  ME.  GILPIN. 

London,  October  17,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Two  hours  ago,  under  a  Full  Power 
received  a  week  since  only,  I  put  my  hand  and  seal  to  the 
Treaty  which,  if  ratified  by  the  Senate,  must  close,  and 
with  mutual  honor,  all  strife  between  the  two  countries. 
Am  I  to  be  more  applauded  b}^  the  philosophers  of  Peace 
or  reviled  by  the  champions  of  War?  N'importe!  I  have 
done  what  I  conceive  to  be  right,  and  will  accept  its  con- 
sequences, be  they  what  they  may. 

The  upshot  is  that  Great  Britain  withdraws  from  her 
Colony  in  the  Bay  of  Honduras,  gives  up  her  Protect- 
orate of  the  Mosquitoes,  admits  Greytown  to  be  a  Free 
City  under  the  sovereignty  of  Nicaragua,  pens  up  her  In- 
dian king  and  his  subjects  within  a  narrow  and  precise 
reservation,  and  promises  never  to  overleap  the  limits  of 
the  Belize  as  they  were  when  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty 
was  made.  That  will  do,  won't  it?  And  what  is  more, 
the  whole  of  it  is  perfectly  compatible  with  the  honor  and 
dignit}'-  of  this  great  nation  : — for,  although  the  Parisian 
scribblers  have  dubbed  me  "  the  wily  diplomat,"  it  never 
has  and  never  will  enter  into  my  own  sense  of  personal 


94  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

or  public  honor  to  get  from  political  agents  a  dishonora- 
ble concession.  That,  too,  I  believe  to  have  been  the 
ruling  principle  of  Lord  Clarendon,  of  whose  fairness  and 
frankness,  as  well  as  ability,  I  cannot  make  too  full  an 
admission. 

United  and  best  regards  to  Mrs.  G. 

Ever  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  59 .-TO  ME.  MAECT. 

London,  October  17,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  possession  and  communication  of 
the  Full  Power  so  fortitied  my  position  that  I  was  able 
to  carry  your  modifications  although  several  had  been 
resisted  before.  The  effect  of  having  the  authority,  at  all 
events  in  a  measure,  to  decide  instead  of  merely  discuss, 
is  that  you  prevent  the  other  party  from  taking  the 
chances  involved  in  an  ad  referendum.  At  least  it  seemed 
to  me  that  the  exhibition  of  the  Broad  Seal  had  a  most 
persuasive  effect. 

Mr.  Buchanan  once  spoke  to  Lord  Clarendon  proposing 
a  co-operation  of  the  ministers  of  the  two  countries  in 
favoring  the  union  of  Buenos  Ayres  to  the  Argentine  Re- 
public. Lord  C.  adopted  the  idea,  and  advised  with  the 
French  government,  who  also  assented.  He  is  anxious 
now,  in  consequence  of  a  letter  just  received  from  the 
British  representative,  to  act;  but  he  has  never  heard 
whether  our  government  are  disposed  to  carry  out  the 
suggestion.  Mr.  Peden,  it  appears,  stands  very  high  in 
general  estimation,  and  his  co-operation  is  much  desired. 
Lord  C.  requested  me,  informally,  to  ascertain  how  the 
matter  stood  at  Washington. 

In  my  No.  —  I  sent  you  certain  bills  made  out  against 
our  government  by  her  Majesty's,  and  requested  attention 
to  them.  Have  you  forgot  them,  or  are  they  paid  without 
my  being  apprised  ? 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  LORD   ELLESMERE.  95 

No.  60 -TO  MR.  MAROT. 

London,  October  24,  1856. 

My  deae  Sir, — I  have  your  ISTos.  34  and  35,  which  will, 
of  course,  be  promptly  attended  to  and  acknowledged  in 
a  formal  despatch,  as  soon  as  there  is  accumulated  enough 
matter. 

Is  it  not  rather  singular  and  invasive  that  Mr.  Guthrie 
should  meditate  building  light-houses  on  British  coasts  ? 
I  rather  suspect  that  Lord  Clarendon  will  be  puzzled  how 
to  answer  the  proposition.  He  has,  however,  got  it  fairly 
before  him,  and  I  hope  will  treat  it  less  cavalierly  than 
Spain  did  our  oiFer  to  buy  Cuba. 

By  the  time  you  get  this,  the  curtain  will  be  lifted  from 
the  Presidential  future.  Perhaps,  indeed,  the  result  may 
ultimately  turn  upon  the  electoral  vote  of  California,  and 
you  may  be  held  in  suspense  for  a  fortnight.  But  I  hope 
that  you  will  send  me  a  missive  as  soon  as  possible,  so 
that  I  may  have  all  the  time  that  can  be  given  for  putting 
my  house  in  order.  I  am  perplexed  about  prolonging  or 
renewing  the  lease  of  my  legation.  If  Pennsylvania  shall 
have  proved  false  to  her  vows,  I  shall  want  to  hurry  up. 

As  I  anticipated,  the  spirited  retorts  made  by  the  Sici- 
lian Absolutist,  upon  the  treatment  of  Irish  rebels  and 
Cayenne  convicts,  have  exasperated  the  polic}^  of  inter- 
vention into  something  like  firmness  and  action.  The 
embassies  are  to  be  withdrawn,  and  the  squadrons  to  cruise 
within  (hail,  though  out  of  the  Bay!  How  tenderly  is  the 
divine  right  to  govern  wrong  dealt  with  ! 

O'Donnell,  too,  has  taken  already  the  direction  of  my 
vaticinations;    and  now  even  JSTarvaez  is  hardly  servile 
enough  for  the  reaction  !     The  general  impression  here 
is  that  a  very  gloomy  convulsion  is  at  hand  in  Spain. 
Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  61.-T0  LOED  ELLESMERE. 

London,  October  25,  1856. 

My  dear  Lord  Ellesmere, — Mr,  Allibone,  who  is  pub- 
lishing "A  Critical  Dictionary  of  English  Literature,"  in 


96  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

the  city  of  Philadelphia,  has  confided  to  my  care,  for 
transmission  to  yon,  a  specimen  volume  of  his  M'ork,  em- 
bracing only  letters  A,  B,  C.  It  seems  to  me  admirable 
in  plan,  execution,  and  getting  up,  and  I  am  desirous  to 
hasten  its  reception  by  your  lordship.  Shall  I  send  it  to 
Bridgewater  House,  or  is  there  a  more  direct  avenue  to 
you  ?  It  is  something  in  shape  between  an  octavo  and 
a  quarto. 

Very  sincerely  and  respectfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — Has  your  lordship  adjudicated  the  claim  of  Bacon 
to  the  authorship  of  Shakespeare's  Plays  ? 


No.  62.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  October  28,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  result  of  the  State  election  in  Penn- 
sylvania has  just  reached  us  by  the  Africa.  I  suppose  it 
may  be  regarded  as  a  conclusive  proof  of  the  victory  that 
awaits  us  this  day  week.  It  would  seem  that  the  major- 
ity can  scarcely  be  less  than  fifteen,  and  may  be  twenty, 
thousand.  This  is  a  nut  which  the  Loudon  and  Parisian 
editors  must  find  it  hard  to  crack. 

Sir  H.  H.  says  he  was  delighted  with  Mr.  Marcy,  and 
I  told  him  that  Mr.  Marcy  was  equally  pleased  with  Sir 
Henry.  In  return  for  your  kind  expressions  about  him, 
he  begged  me  not  to  omit  conveying  his  best  respects. 

At  last  a  significant  step  has  been  taken  in  the  Neapoli- 
tan afiair.  The  French  and  English  Legations  are  with- 
drawn. The  movement  is  accompanied,  however,  with 
so  much  hesitation,  and  with  arrangements  as  to  the  fleets 
80  opposite  to  intervention,  that  King  Ferdinand  must  re- 
gard it  rather  as  a  triumph  than  a  hurt.  The  breaking  ofl:* 
of  diplomatic  intercourse  is,  after  all,  a  blow  not  very  dif- 
ficult to  bear.  According  to  European  sentiment,  Bomba 
may  perhaps  not  relish  being  cut  by  Louis  Napoleon  and 
Victoria;  but  then,  his  lair  remains  inviolate ;  he  can  con- 
sult his  humor  there,  and  he  may  smile  at  the  "  bruium 
fulmen"  while  he  stands  between,  and  arm  in  arm  with, 
Russia  and  Austria.    This  may  not  be  an  actual "  fizzle," 


TO  REV.  DR.  BINNEY.  97 

but  it  so  miicli  resembles  one,  that  it  cannot  satisfy  any 
shade  of  political  party  in  Parliament.  Lord  Palmerston 
has  either  lunged  at  too  distant  an  aim,  or  has  too  readily 
recoiled.  Most  persons  regard  the  present  position  as 
neither  one  thing  nor  the  other — a  sham  for  France,  and 
a  shame  for  England. 

Talking  of  a  lack  of  British  diplomatic  representation 
at  ISTaples  reminds  me  that  you  labor  at  Washington 
under  the  same  deprivation.  How  do  you  bear  it  ?  Have 
any  serious  inconveniences  developed  themselves?  Or 
do  you  begin  to  feel  that  there  is  a  point  at  which  farther 
delay  would  be  uncivil?  IsTot  a  whisper  on  the  subject 
has  come  to  my  ears.  I  believe  Lord  E.  would  like  it. 
I  believe  the  Duke  of  N.  would  like  it.  I  believe  Mr.  V. 
would  like  it.  I  believe  Lord  H.  would  like  it.  And  I 
feel  convinced  that  Sir  G-.  O.,  who  married  a  daughter  of 
Gov.  Vanness,  would  like  it.  And  I  am  persuaded  that 
either  of  these  gentlemen  would  make  himself  quite  ac- 
ceptable. But  the  acid  of  Crampton's  (I  beg  pardon, 
Sir  John  Crampton's)  dismissal  has  not  yet  been  neutral- 
ized. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  63.-TO  KEY.  DE.  BINNEY. 

24  Portland  Place,  October  31,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  fulfilled  to  the  strict  letter  my  prom- 
ise to  you  about  your  friend,  and  have  had,  for  some  two 
weeks  or  more,  the  response  in  my  pigeon  holes.  I  hoped 
you  might  call  in  from  day  to  day.  It  requires  verbal  ex- 
planation. When  your  engagements  call  you  to  London, 
I  shall  take  pleasure  in  letting  you  see  the  matter  in  its 
real  aspect. 

Consider  Mr.  Buchanan  elected  to  the  Presidency  on 
the  4th  of  November,  by  the  overwhelming  defeat  he 
gavg  the  adversary  in  Pennsylvania  on  the  14th  inst.  In 
my  judgment,  the  indication  is  unerring,  and  makes  doubt 
idle. 

We  all  renew  our  thanks  for  the  kindness  and  fre- 
quency of  your  invitations,  and  only  regret  that  a  sort  of 


98  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

American  "  manifest  destiny "  has  prevented  a  visit  to 
you,  or  Mr.  W.  Brown,  or  half  a  dozen  others,  whom  we 
long  to  burthen  with  our  presence. 

Having  accomplished  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the 
American  government  the  adventurous  and  unpromising 
enterprise  which  brought  me  to  England,  namely,  a  re- 
storation of  amicable  relations  and  feelings  between  the 
two  countries,  on  terms  honorable  to  both — a  result 
which  the  fairness,  frankness,  and  ability  of  Lord  Claren- 
don reached  directly  and  promptly — I  am  ready  to  re- 
sume my  niche  of  obscurity  at  home,  be  our  new  Presi- 
dent whom  he  may.  Indeed,  I  begin  to  doubt  whether  I 
can  consent  to  prolong  my  representative  residence  at  a 
Court  which  does  not  esteem  my  doing  so  worth  recipro- 
cating. This  you  may  consider  democratic  pride.  Per- 
haps it  is  so.  We  are  excessively  touchy,  I  own,  at  any- 
thing construed  to  imply  a  slight  from  an  aristocracy 
whose  principles  of  personal  or  political  conduct  we  do 
not  perfectl}^  understand.  In  the  United  States,  the  hum- 
blest citizen  would  deem  it  a  sacrifice  of  self-respect  to 
stop  at  a  house  whose  owner  notoriously  declined  return- 
ing the  social  compliment.  I  am  only,  ot  course,  illustra- 
ting the  political  attitude  of  the  two  nations — not  referring 
to  private  life — and  to  explain  to  you  why  and  how  it  may 
be  that  my  "  continuance  here  may  in  no  measure  what- 
ever depend  upon  the  Presidential  election."  A  long 
story  you  will  say,  in  answer  to  a  single  phrase. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  64.-T0  ME.  MAKOY. 

London,  November  4,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Our  last  accounts  of  the  State  election 
in  Pennsylvania  on  the  4th  of  October,  have  created  here 
a  universal  conviction  that  the  democrats  must  succeed 
in  the  struggle  of  io-day.  Even  the  inveterately  anti- 
American  and  anti-slaver}^  newspapers — Times,  Post,  Ad- 
vertiser, Globe — are  beginning  to  hedge,  and  admit  that 
England  can  get  along  without  a  quarrel,  let  who  may  be 
President.  People  are  wise  who  accommodate  them- 
selves to  a  relation  they  cannot  avoid. 


d 


TO  MR.  MARCT.  %Q 

The  great  alliance  is  loosening.  Something  on  this 
score  is  due  to  the  insinuating  diplomacy  of  Russia, 
which  began  immediately  on  the  meeting  of  the  Peace 
Congress  in  Paris, — something  to  tire  under-current  of 
contemptuous  remark  in  which  the  French  indulge 
against  the  military  capacity  of  their  English  Crimean 
heroes;  something  to  the  unavoidable  diversity  of  senti- 
ment and  policy  as  to  the  Principalities;  something  to 
the  manifestly  inconsistent  attitude  of  the  absolutist  of 
2d  December,  with  thousands  banished  and  perishing  in 
Cayenne,  towards  his  disciple  Bomba ;  but  more  than 
either,  or  perhaps  than  all  of  these,  will  be  due  to  the 
Napoleonic  warning,  given  in  the  Moniteur,  to  the  calum- 
nious British  press.  Louis  ISTapoleon  put  his  hand,  by 
this,  literally  into  the  lion's  mouth,  and  the  lion  has  been 
chafing,  chewing,  and  biting  ever  since.  That  which 
touches  the  quick  of  the  imperial  sensibilities  is  the  in- 
contestably  true  charge  of  fraudulent  speculation  in  the 
public  funds.  Private  and  personal  aberrations  may  be 
imputed  by  wholesale  and  be  disregarded,  because  in 
these  regions  of  civilization  such  matters  are  turned  into 
mere  amusing  gossip  ;  but  to  swindle  the  masses,  and  es- 
pecially "  les  OHvriers,"  by  tricks  in  stocks,  to  become  in 
office  suddenly  rich  in  this  way,  endangers  the  throne 
even  with  the  army.  Such  an  act  must  not  be  charged, 
if  the  alliance  is  to  be  continued.  It  is  committed,  but 
it  must  be  concealed  and  indignantly  denied.  The  spirit 
with  which  the  editors  confront  the  imperial  scolding  is 
worthy  of  all  praise.  I  had  cut  out  for  preservation  a  fine 
specimen  of  this  manliness  and  ability  combined ;  but  I 
will  send  it  to  you  with  this,  as  worthy  to  fill  up  an  idle 
moment  at  your  fireside. 

London  is  refilling.  Many  of  my  colleagues  are  back. 
Dinners  are  beginning.  But  the  full  tide  comes  only 
with  the  Court  and  Parliament  in  February. 

The  Merrimac  left  Southampton  three  days  ago,  and 
without  my  being  able  to  visit  her.  She  was  most  hospi- 
tably entertained  during  all  her  stay. 

I  have  not  a  scrap  on  hand  worthy  of  an  ofiicial  de- 
spatch, and  I  dare  say  you  have  not  failed  to  detect  that 
this  scrawl  is  more  marked  by  a  determination  to  write 
something  than  by  a  superfluity  of  matter. 

My  best  compliments  to  your  family. 

Very  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


100  TO  MR.  MARCY. 


No.  65.-T0  MR.  EVEEETT. 


LoNDOK,  November  4,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — "The  Uses  of  Astronomy"  reached  me 
yesterday  morning ;  and  I  read  it  last  night  with  such  real 
delight  that  I  cannot  restrain  the  wish  to  thank  yon  most 
warmly  for  having  sent  it.  Nothing  has  given  me  the 
same  pleasure,  since  your  refusal,  as  Secretary  of  State,  to 
enter  into  the  tripartite  guaranty  of  Cuba  to  Spain.  I 
cannot  speak  of  your  lecture  on  Washington,  of  which 
I  have  heard  a  great  deal,  but  as  yet  have  met  no  copy. 

You  have  many  ardent  as  well  as  distinguished  friends 
here,  who  speak  with  pride  of  having  known  you  inti- 
mately. 

Always  faithfully  and  thankfully 

Your  sincere  friend. 


No.  66.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  November  7,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Washington,  which  quitted  South- 
ampton the  day  before  yesterday,  and  by  which  I  intended 
to  send  letters,  was  given  up  at  Mr.  Miller's  suggestion  of 
her  being  a  laggard  in  movement,  and  her  mail  reserved 
for  the  Niagara  of  to-morrow.  I  am,  therefore,  able  to 
send  you  two  newspaper  cuttings,  which  you  may  find 
worthy  special  notice. 

Lord  Palmerston's  speeches  at  Manchester  are  in  place 
of  what  he  might  say  in  the  House  of  Commons,  were 
Parliament  in  session.  I  have  invited  your  eye  to  certain 
passages  by  marks.  They  will  attract  attention.  One  of 
my  diplomatic  colleagues  had  with  me  a  short  conversa- 
tion, whose  bearings  on  two  points  may  make  it  not 
wholly  unworthy  of  repetition  to  you. 

C.  This  is  a  very  strange  administration! 

D.  Why  do  3'ou  think  so.  Baron? 

C.  They  are  not  harmonious : — they  don't  agree  among 
themselves. 


TO  MR.  MARCr.  101 

D.  I  can't  perceive  that:  at  least  they  hide  their  differ- 
ences from  the  public. 

C,  Well,  I  will  illustrate.  I  had,  two  daj^s  ago,  a  long 
interview  with  Lord  Palmerston,  in  the  course  of  which 
I  told  him  I  could  not  understand  the  policy  of  the  cabi- 
net about  the  Principalities.  He  said  it  was  very  plain  and 
very  direct.  No,  I  replied,  you  are  for  preventing  their 
union.  Certainly,  he  observed,  you  are  right  there.  But 
why?  I  remarked;  their  union  would  undoubtedly  aug- 
ment their  power  and  prosperity.  Perhaps  so,  said  he ; 
but  then,  Baron,  our  wish  is  to  keep  them  weak  and  to 
increase  the  powers  of  Turkey.  Mon  Dieu!  I  exclaimed, 
that  is  not  the  idea  of  Lord  Clarendon,  his  opinion  is  dif- 
ferent. Very  possibly,  he  replied ;  if  Lord  Clarendon 
has  expressed  to  you  a  contrary  view,  it  is  his  own  private 
one  ;  it  is  not  that  of  the  ministry.  We  have  always  en- 
tertained the  policy  I  have  avowed.  The  Principalities 
must  remain  feeble  by  being  kept  apart.  In  that  way  only 
can  they  be  kept  under  the  influence  of  Turkey  and  be  a 
barrier  against  Russia.  Consolidate  their  strength,  and 
the  Sultan  would  soon  find  them,  under  the  magic  of  Rus- 
sian diplomacy,  ready  to  join  the  Czar  in  driving  him  out 
of  Constantinople.  Lord  Clarendon  has  his  own  notions: 
but  y)e  have  ours. 

How  odd  these  contradictory  sentiments!  and  for  the 
Premier  to  say  Pooh !  pooh !  to  the  words  of  the  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs! 

D.  Well,  Baron,  do  you  talk  again  to  Lord  Clarendon, 
and  you  may  discover  that  he  has  modified  his  opinions, 
and  brought  them  to  harmonize  with  those  of  Lord  Pal- 
merston. 

This  question  as  to  the  union  of  the  Danubian  Princi- 
palities has  greater  depth  and  importance  in  its  specula- 
tive futurity  and  in  its  immediate  effects,  than  may  at  first 
be  supposed.  It  is  vastly  interesting  as  bearing  upon  the 
relations  hereafter  to  exist  between  Russia  and  the  rest 
of  Europe.  \But  its  present  operation  in  producing  a 
disagreement  on  a  great  principle  between  France  and 
England,  and  tending  to  end  the  alliance  in  angry  quar- 
rel, cannot  be  overrated.  The  statesmen,  politicians,  and 
press  of  both  countries  are  already  by  the  ears  in  relation 
to  it.  It  is  more  fundamental  than  the  disputes  about  the 
Isle  of  Serpents,  or  the  two  Belgrods,  or  the  Finland  for- 


102  TO  MR.  EDWARDS. 

tifications.  There  would  seem  to  spring  out  of  it  at  once, 
a  new  arrangement  of  European  alliances:  Great  Britain, 
Austria,  and  Turkey  antagonistic  to  France,  Russia,  and 
Prussia.  The  languor  of  the  movement  against  Naples  is 
a  premonitory  symptom. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  67.-T0  ME.  EDWARDS. 

24  Portland  Place,  November  11,  1856. 

I  confine  myself  strictly  to  your  enquiries: 

1.  The  Electors  of  a  President  of  the  United  States  are, 
by  an  Act  of  Congress  of  the  Ist  of  March,  1792,  "  ap- 
pointed in  each  State,"  and  are  in  number  equal  to  the 
number  of  Senators  and  Representatives  to  which  each 
State  is  entitled  by  law. 

Except  in  South  Carolina,  the  ajjpointment  by  the  State 
is  made  through  the  agency  of  a  popular  election,  witliin 
34  days  preceding  the  first  Wednesday  in  December. 

The  election  in  each  State  is  conducted  under  State 
regulations  and  officers;  its  result  is  certified  to  the  State 
Executive;  and  that  State  Executive,  by  proclamation, 
makes  the  result  known,  and  by  communication  to  the 
elected. 

2.  The  Electors,  thus  officially  notified,  are  by  law  di- 
rected to  meet  wherever  the  Legislature  of  the  State  may 
appoint,  and  give  their  votes  by  ballot  for  a  President  and 
Vice-President,  on  the  first  Wednesday  of  December. 

On  meeting,  they  select  their  own  presiding  officer; 
they  sign  and  seal  three  certificates  of  all  the  votes  by  them 
given ;  they  send  one  of  these  certificates,  by  an  officer  of 
their  own  choice  (generally  one  of  the  electors),  to  the  Pre- 
sident of  the  U.  S.  Senate,  one  other  they  transmit  to  the 
same  person  by  the  Post  Office,  and  the  third  they  deliver 
to  the  Judge  of  the  United  States  of  the  District  in  which 
they  meet. 

3.  On  the  second  Wednesday  in  February,  both  Houses 
of  Congress  assemble  in  Convention,  the  President  of  the 
Senate  presiding:  the  certificates  transmitted  from  the 
several  electoral  colleges  are  opened,  the  votes  counted, 
and  the  persons  elected  ascertained  and  declared. 


i 


TO  MR.  CHILD S.  103 

4.  If,  on  opening  the  certificates  and  counting  the  votes 
it  appears  that  no  person  has  received  a  majority  of  the 
whole  number,  then  the  House  of  Representatives  alone 
proceeds  immediately  to  choose  by  ballot,  out  of  the  three 
highest  in  votes  on  the  list,  the  President : — and  in  making 
this  choice,  the  votes  are  taken  by  States,  each  State  hav- 
ing one  vote.  If  the.  House  fail  to  choose  before  the  4th 
of  March  then  next  following,  the  Vice-President  enters 
upon  the  office,  as  in  the  case  of  the  death  of  the  President. 

So  as  to  the  election  of  the  Vice-President;  only,  that, 
if  the  certificates  of  the  electoral  votes  do  not  shew  a  ma- 
jority for  any  one,  the  Senate  (not  the  House)  choose  the 
officer,  and  may  choose  immediately,  without  waiting  the 
result  of  the  proceedings  in  the  House  as  to  the  President. 

Respectfully  yrs. 


No.  68 -TO  MR.  OHILDS. 

London,  November  12,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  am  extremely  obliged  to  you  for  your 
kind  and  interesting  letters.  In  this,  a  sort  of  exile,  they 
comfort  and  cheer  me  greatly. 

Your  last  spoke  of  Mr.  T.  Buchanan  Read,  and  of  your 
wish  that  he  should  paint  two  portraits  for  you.  I  gave 
him  a  strong  introductory  letter  to  Lady  Franklin,  and 
enclose  her  reply. 

Dr.  Kane  has  left  here,  and  is  perhaps  in  Paris;  but, 
continuing  quite  unwell  and  feeble,  he  was  undetermined 
whether  to  go  to  Algeria  or  Cuba,  and  I  sent  him  such 
letters  as  I  thought  might  serve  him  at  either  place.  His 
book  has  given  as  much  delight  here  as  with  you.  A 
thousand  congratulations  on  its  merited  success. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


104  TO   COL.  L. 


No.  69 -TO  JUDGE  KANE. 

London,  November  13,  1856. 

My  dear  Judge, — I  am  afraid  you  have  reason  to  com- 
plain of  my  not  writing  to  let  Mrs.  Kane  know  of  the 
Doctor's  arrival  here  and  of  the  state  of  his  health.  The 
truth  is,  I  waited  from  day  to  day,  to  see  him  improve  in 
strength,  and  thought  more  of  him  than  of  you. 

He  soon  made  up  his  mind  that  the  climate  was  un- 
favorable, and  hastened  over  to  France;  undetermined 
whether  to  go  to  Algiers,  or  to  recross  the  Atlantic  and 
winter  in  Cuba.  I  made  him  promise  me  a  line  from 
each  resting-place  as  he  proceeded,  but  have  not  heard 
from  hira  since  he  left. 

Of  course,  he  was  received  here  with  open  arms.  His 
book  is  rapidly  circulating  and  gives  delight  to  every  one. 
The  reviewers  and  critics  will  begin  their  notices  as  soon 
as  they  have  had  time  to  digest  it.  If  they  prove  to  be 
what  they  ought  to  be,  I  will  use  the  scissors  and  send 
them.  Enclosed  is  a  slip  respecting  the  proceeding  of 
the  Royal  Geographical  Society  at  their  meeting  three 
days  ago. 

We  wait  on  tiptoe,  expecting  to  hear  of  the  Africa,  on  * 
Saturday  or  Sunday,  the  15th  or  16th,  what  you  did  with 
the  Presidency  on  the  4th  instant.     'So  doubt,  however, 
is  entertained  that  our  noble  Party  has  carried  21  out  of 
the  31  States. 

Present  me  most  warmly  to  all  your  family. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  70.-T0  OOL.  L. 

London,  November  14, 1856. 

My  dear  Colonel, — Judge  Jones  writes  me  word  that 
you  are  sufiering  under  the  apprehension  of  a  domestic 
deprivation.  I  sympathize  with  you  too  warmly  to  re- 
frain from  writing,  though  I  am  generally  unwilling  to 
draw   your   thoughts  away  from   professional   business. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  105 

Consolation  it  would  be  idle  in  me  to  attempt.  Such 
calamities  admit  of  none.  Time,  in  its  action  upon  a 
Christian  spirit,  administers  the  only  balm.  You  and 
Mrs.  L.  have  been  sorely  tried,  and  may  have  dark  days 
still  to  encounter,  but  I  fervently  hope  you  will  pass 
through  them  with  sentiments  of  submission,  resignation, 
and  tirmness.     Such  is  my  sincere  prayer. 

Since  effecting  all  that  my  most  heated  ambition  could 
desire  in  this  sphere  of  public  service,  I  have  indulged  in 
meditations  somewhat  selfish.  Such  is,  perhaps,  the  un- 
avoidable consequence  of  too  much  delusion  as  to  the 
direction  we  seduce  ourselves  to  take  by  calling  it  "  de- 
votion to  one's  country."  After  all,  no  individual  person 
is  wanted;  if  he  abstain  or  withdraw,  others  by  whole- 
sale are  ready  to  undertake  and  to  execute  any  duty.  We 
are  taught  this  truth  by  a  slow  experience,  too  late  to 
avoid  the  pitfalls  of  buoyant  and  blind  patriotism.  Per- 
haps, indeed,  after  being  taught,  the  habit  of  risking 
every  sacrifice  in  order  to  do  some  supposed  service, 
would  still  work  on.  Is  it  not  wiser  and  more  virtuous 
to  take  care  of  one's  own  family  and  old  age,  leaving  the 
general  weal  to  others,  unless  Providence  has  placed  you 
beyond  the  reach  of  want?  It  is  easy,  and  it  must  be  de- 
lightful, for  a  rich  man  to  be  patriotic;  but  when  a  poor 
one  becomes  absorbed  in  his  country's  affairs,  he  really 
naught  enriches  it,  and  only  paves  the  way  for  his  own 
"Vanity,  Vanity,  and  Vexation!" 

We  anticipate  hearing  to-morrow,  or  the  day  after,  the 
grand  finale  of  the  Presidential  chorus  of  the  4th  instant. 
We  do  not  doubt,  as  we  ardently  pray,  that  our  glorious 
Union  may  be  again  saved  by  our  glorious  democracy. 
I  remain  as  ever,  my  dear  Colonel, 

Your  friend  faithfully. 


No.  71.-T0  ME.  MAKOY. 

London,  November  14,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  don't  know  how  better  to  dispose  of 
the  accompanying  grandiloquent  petition  from  Corfu, 
than  by  sending  it  for  adjudication  to  you.     There  may 

VOL.  I. — 8 


106  TO  MR.  MARGY. 

possibly  be  some  reason  in  what  the  man  says  as  to  our 
vessels  out  there  wanting  a  consulate. 

I  inadvertently  omitted,  in  my  last,  calling  your  attention 
to  the  fact  that  Lord  Palmerston,  in  his  recent  speech  at 
Liverpool,  almost  entirely  gave  in  to  your  proposed  ad- 
dition to  the  anathema  against  Privateering.  He  makes 
it  a  mere  question  of  time,  and  seems  to  expect  the  time 
to  be  at  hand.  We  are  certainly  on  the  confines  of  the 
Millennium.     I  enclose  my  slip. 

In  the  Despatch  Bag  of  to-day  I  send  a  somewhat  for- 
midable looking  document  addressed  to  the  care  of 
Senator  A.  G.  Brown.  It  should  be  made  to  pay  toll: — 
that  is,  I  think  it  an  article  of  such  authenticity,  clear- 
ness, and  force,  that  it  should  be  examined  by  Mr.  Guthrie 
before  leaving  Washington.  It  is  a  Paper  read  by  Mr. 
J.  T.  Danson  at  a  meeting  of  the  British  Association  for 
the  Advancement  of  Science  on  "The  Connection  of  Amer- 
ican Slavery  with  the  British  Manufacture  of  Cotton." 
IsTot  being  in  print,  I  requested  a  manuscript  copy,  and  it 
has  been  most  kindly  furnished.  Perhaps  Mr.  Brown 
might  feel  himself  authorized,  under  the  circumstances, 
to  let  the  paper  be  read  as  it  passes  on  its  way  to  his  con- 
stituent of  Mississippi,  Mr.  John  F.  H.  Claiborne : — per- 
haps not,  and  if  not,  I  must  try  to  get  another  copy. 

Appearances  in  Paris  are  getting  worse  and  worse.  A 
financial  panic  seems  inevitable.  The  Bank  broods  over 
a  suspension  of  specie  payments,  and  its  chief  directors 
insist  upon  its  necessity.  JSTapoleon  remains  firm  against 
the  measure.  Scarcity,  hoarding,  high  rents,  placards, 
stock-gambling,  and  frightful  licentiousness  will,  I  think, 
soon  give  him  an  opportunity  to  prove  the  superiority  of 
his  arrangements  over  those  of  Louis  Philippe  to  repress 
a  movement  of  barricades.  He  has  warily  worked  in  ad- 
vance, and  under  pretence  of  adorning  beautiful  Paris 
with  perspective  rows  and  colonnades  "  long  drawn  out," 
has  opened  for  his  artillery  avenues  into  all  the  mutinous 
districts.  He  is  beyond  the  reach  of  anything  but  assas- 
sination, and  that  he  in  a  measure  defies,  for  I  am  told 
that  metallic  underclothing  does  for  him  what  was  done 
for  Achilles  by  the  water  of  the  Styx ; — makes  him  bullet- 
proof. To  be  sure,  one  of  these  days,  the  army  ma}^  de- 
sert him,  and  then,  of  course,  down  he  goes.  But  no 
symptom  of  that  yet. 


i 


TO  MR.  MARGY.  107 

The  last  received' of  our  newspapers  led  me  to  expect 
the  "Resolute"  at  an  earl^-  day. 

King  Bomba,  after  laughing  at  his  sulking  and  quitting 
guests,  is  getting  more  gracious,  and  the  "complication" 
may  be  esteemed  at  an  end. 

You  are  all  now  in  the  bustle  preliminary  to  a  session, 
and  I  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  this  twaddling  intrusion. 
Always  respectfully  and  truly  yrs. 


NO.  72 -TO  MR.  MAEOY. 

London,  November  21, 1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  despatch  ISTo.  37,  and  private  letter, 
both  of  7th  November,  have  just  arrived  by  the  Atlantic. 

I  am  at  a  loss  to  fix  the  precise  clause  of  the  Conven- 
tion in  which  you  think  a  clerical  mistake  has  been  made 
in  using  the  w^ord  '■^icilhui"  instead  of  the  word  '■'■  loithoutJ' 
If  you  allude  to  the  preliminary  declaration  of  Art.  4,  you 
will  on  further  examination  perceive  that  every  inch  of 
territory  outside,  of  the  reservation,  or  '■hiot  included  within 
it,''  south  of  the  Segovia,  is  recognized  as  JSTicaragua's.  If 
you  go  north  of  the  Segovia,  you  get  into  Honduras. 
However,  I  await  your  promised  more  formal  explanation 
of  this  matter ;  although  unable  to  see  anywhere  in  the 
document  a  place  in  which  it  is  possible,  without  destroy- 
ing the  sense,  to  substitute  ^^ without"  for  ^^vjithin." 

There  has  been  a  rapid  series  of  Cahinet  Councils  in 
Downing  Street,  and  they  are  still  going  on.  Quidnuncs 
speculate  in  vain  on  their  objects.  They  may  relate  to 
foreign  embroglios ;  or  to  projects  of  domestic  reform; 
or  to  changes  in  their  own  personnel.  There  is  a  talk 
about  exiling  Lord  John  Russell  into  the  House  of  Peers. 
Several  judicial  and  episcopal  vacancies  have  had  to  be 
filled.  After  all,  I  suspect  that  these  frequent  consulta- 
tions are  ascribable  to  the  ticklish  position  of  the  alliance 
with  France  rather  than  to  any  other  single  cause. 

The  first  Monday  in  December  will  have  arrived  a 
day  or  two  before  this  reaches  you;  and  as  the  steamer 
Niagara  quits  Boston  on  the  3d,  I  hope  you  may  not  have 


108  TO  MR.  MILES. 

omitted  to  direct  me  to  be  supplied  by  her  with  the  Mes- 
sage, and  any  other  documents  on  hand. 

Frauds  and  murders  are  the  order  of  the  day  in  these 
realms.  They  throw  our  wickedness  completely  in  the 
shade.  It  is  gravely  mooted  whether  the  revolver  and 
the  bowie-knife,  those  much  vilified  weapons,  ought  not 
to  be  carried  by  every  honest  and  peaceable  Englishman 
to  protect  his  life. 

London  is  fast  refilling  from  the  Counties  and  the  Con- 
tinent. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


ITo.  73.-T0  ME.  MILES. 

London,  November  25,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  kind  letter,  which  circumstances 
prevented  my  answering  sooner,  has  left  a  very  strong  im- 
pression upon  my  mind.  Its  incidents  and  sentiments 
cannot  fail  to  be  always  and  warmly  remembered. 

I  do  not  know  how  long  my  stay  in  Europe  may  be 
protracted.  Apart  from  the  consciousness  that  I  am  not 
altogether  now  my  own  master,  either  to  quit  or  to  re- 
main, I  feel  in  doubt  as  to  what,  in  a  domestic  point  of 
view,  it  would  be  expedient  to  do.  The  public  objects 
which  were  aimed  at  in  coming  are  attained;  my  diplo- 
matic job  is  finished;  and,  as  I  am  somewhat  insensi- 
ble to  the  attractions  of  an  idle  post,  and  perfectly  content 
with  private  life,  the  idea  of  resuming  my  Walnut  Street 
home,  not  unfrequently  becomes  persuasive. 

The  distractions  which,  at  this  distance,  appeared  to 
convulse  our  country,  ever  since  the  Presidential  nomina- 
tions, have  awakened  within  me  sad  and  serious  anxiety 
as  to  the  fate  to  which  we  may  be  destined.  This  fright- 
ful sectionalism,  dividing  us  into  North  and  South,  giving 
to  the  former  the  power  of  population  and  of  fanatical 
fierceness,  and  to  the  latter  the  strength  of  constitutional 
right  and  of  social  necessity,  presents  an  aspect  of  things 
which  would  seem,  for  the  purpose  of  rescue  and  safety, 
almost  to  demand  the  interposition  of  Providence.  How 
else  is  this  Red  Sea  to  be  traversed  ?    Where  is  the  wis- 


TO   MR.  3IILES.  109 

dom,  wliere  the  self-sacrificing  patriotism,  the  broad 
honor,  and  continental  nationality  of  '87  and  '89  ?  I 
have  never  underrated  the  capacity  of  the  President  elect, 
and  feel  assured  that  the  instincts  of  his  high  position  will 
rallj'^  for  his  cabinet  the  ablest  and  truest  men  whose 
services  he  can  command  : — what  I  fear  is,  that  no  one 
will  appreciate  the  imminence  of  the  danger,  no  one  will 
disengage  himself  from  the  sweeping  torrent  of  the  pres- 
ent and  strike  out  boldly  for  the  future,  no  one  will  sink 
the  victory  of  the  day  in  calm  and  laborious  efforts  to 
prepare  the  regeneration  of  fraternity  in  1860.  The  two 
sections  must  not  be  permitted  to  drill  their  respective 
forces  for  four  years,  and  then  confront  each  other  for  a 
definitive  fight : — that  would  be  to  risk  our  existence  as  a 
nation  upon  an  issue  of  uncertain  result: — to  such  a  pass 
matters  should  not  be  allowed  to  go: — the  whole  term  of 
Mr.  Buchanan  would  be  wisely  expended  in  rendering 
sectionalism  impossible  at  its  expiration. 

This  subject  goes  deeper  into  my  feelings  owing  to  my 
being  in  the  midst  of  tl\ose  who  show  a  profound  inca- 
pacity to  understand  the  federative  structure  of  our  gov- 
ernment, and  who  keenly  set  on  their  Press,  their  Pulpits, 
their  lecturers,  their  speakers,  their  novelists,  their  poets, 
and  their  historians  to  produce  an  overpowering  chorus 
for  the  subversion  of  a  Constitution  which  shelters  the 
Southern  form  of  African  labor  from  their  crusade.  Our 
Constitutional  democracy,  if  imsectioiiaUzed,  is  our  only 
means  of  baffling  them. 

I  am  quite  curious  to  know  the  effects,  actual  or  an- 
ticipated, of  the  new  order  of  things.  This  curiosity  is 
not,  indeed,  confined  to  myself.  Enquiries  are  con- 
stantly made  as  to  the  probable  course  of  our  new  chief 
magistrate :  and  before  his  inauguration  we  shall  proba- 
bly have  his  whole  future  shadowed  out  in  parliamentary 
speeches,  editorial  leaders,  and  political  dissertations  all 
over  Europe.  That  great  Western  Republic  is,  just  now, 
a  mighty  '■'■John  Jones''  in  the  eyes  of  the  world. 

Remember  me  to  Judge  Jones,  Phillips,  M.  C,  Col. 
Page,  Col.  Lee,  etc.,  etc., — indeed,  to  all  whom  you  know 
I  value  as  generous  friends.  Present  me  especially  to 
Mrs.  Miles  and  your  boy,  also  to  your  brother,  and  be- 
lieve me 

Faithfully  and  sincerely  yrs. 


no  TO  MR.  31  ARC Y. 


l&o.  74 -TO  ME.  MAEOY. 

Lo^'•DON,  November  23,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — After  sending  off  my  last  somewhat 
hurried  note,  I  resumed  my  search  for  your  "  clerical  er- 
ror" in  the  Convention,  and  found  it  (!),  after  passing  it 
over  twice,  lurking  in  the  tail  of  a  word,  and  constituting 
the  well-recognized  difference,  both  physically  and  polit- 
ically, of  out  and  in.  When  once  detected,  it  is  so  ob- 
vious that  you  can  see  nothing  else:  like  the  cast  in  a 
man's  eye.  Two  queries : — how  did  so  palpable  a  mis- 
take occur?  and  how  put  it  right?  Your  instruction  is 
faultless  and  clear: — and  the  wrong  termination  must 
have  been  committed  by  myself  in  copying  from  your 
original  on  to  a  separate  paper  for  the  benefit  of  the  final 
draftsman  of  the  Convention.  Once  crept  into  the  text, 
it  is  of  that  attenuated  and  subtle  character — like  a  par- 
ticle of  rust  upon  a  needle's  point,  or  of  dust  upon  the 
glass  of  your  spectacles,  both  excessively  obstructive  and 
subversive — which  is  readily  overlooked.  As  to  its  rem- 
edy:—  the  finger  once  upon  it,  unlike  the  Irishman's 
flea,  it  cannot  escape,  and  I  should  presume  the  Senate's 
Committee  would,  in  briefly  reporting  a  verbal  amend- 
ment, yield  to  a  natural  desire  of  changing  out  into  in. 
But  be  this  as  it  may,  I  will  lose  no  time  in  seeing  Lord 
Clarendon,  and  in  devising  such  form  of  rectification  as 
may  be  deemed  best.  Perhaps  a  joint  recognition  of  the 
slip  of  the  pen,  with  a  joint  request  to  scratch  out  and  write 
VI,  prior  to  final  "advice  and  consent,"  would  put  you  in 
complete  command  of  the  complication. 

The  American  ultimatum  about  Privateering  is  winning 
its  way.  I  must  confess  that,  although  the  general  prin- 
ciple is  sound  and  philanthropic,  I  do  not  think  we  have 
yet  reached  that  point  of  naval  power  which  would  justify 
our  abandoning  the  great  private  means  of  public  de- 
fence for  any  consideration  whatever:  and  I  am  a  little 
apprehensive  that  the  Paris  Congress,  if  it  convene  again, 
may  take  you  at  your  offer.  Lord  Palmerston  at  Liver- 
pool avowed  a  decided  leaning  in  that  way:  and  Mr.  Cob- 
den  is  out  with  a  letter  to  the  same  effect.  As  you  may 
otherwise  not  see  this  last  promptly,  I  send  you  my  slip 
cut  from  the  Globe  of  yesterday. 


TO  LORD  SHELBURNE.  Ill 

Our  excellent  friend  the  Earl  of  EUesmere  is  laboring 
under  a  fierce  and  protracted  attack  of  gout. 

Suppose  you  add  to  the  list  of  those  whom  I  have  here- 
tofore reported  as  probably  ambitious  of  representing  the 
Queen  in  the  White  House  "  The  Man  with  the  White 
Hat,"  now  Sir  Charles  Elliott,  Rear  Admiral,  etc.,  etc.  I 
met  him  at  the  Premier's  last  night,  and  his  exceeding 
amiability  and  politeness  led  me  to  do,  what  Dr.  Dablan- 
cour  would  not  do,  i.e.  "smell  a  rat."  He  was  slightly  dis- 
concerted when  I  reminded  him,  jocosely,  of  the  sobri- 
quet he  achieved  in  the  United  States.  He  is  the  onlj' 
candidate,  if  candidate  at  all,  whose* welcome  I  should 
doubt : — and  yet  he  may  be  in  petto  for  us. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  75.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  ITovember  25,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Austrian  minister  has  requested 
me  to  forward  a  package  addressed  to  the  Imperial  and 
Royal  Legation  of  Austria  at  AYashington.  It  is  the  Ex- 
tradition Treaty  recently  executed  between  the  Plenipo- 
tentiaries of  the  two  governments,  and  the  time  within 
which  it  must  be  ratified  is  rapidly  running  short. 

I  have  just  got  back  from  the  F.  0.,  where  I  scratched 
out  and  put  in,  and  then  drafted  the  note  to  you  which  I 
now  send.     I^ot  a  moment  left. 

Always  respectfully  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  76.-T0  LOED  SHELBUENE. 

London,  Novem'ber  29,  1856. 

My  dear  Lord  Shelburne, — It  may  be  observed  that 
in  the  whole  Treaty  there  is  but  one  letter  D,  and  that  in 
Article  4.  Our  former  missive  of  authorization  to  Mr. 
Marcy  was  not  susceptible  of  misapplication,  although, 
pursuing  the  erroneous  description  made  by  Mr.  Marcy 


112  TO   MR.  MARCY. 

himself,  it  referred  to  ]N"o.  3  instead  of  No.  4.  Still,  after 
your  lordship  left  me,  I  thought  it  best  that  every  doubt 
upon  the  subject  should  be  relieved. 

I  beg  you  to  accept  ray  apologies  for  the  trouble  this 
inadvertence  has  occasioned,  and  my  assurance  of  high 
respect. 

Yery  truly  your  obedient  servant. 


ITk  77.-T0  MK.  MAKOY. 

London,  December  1,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  joint  request  that  you  would  correct 
the  "  clerical  error"  in  the  Treaty,  was  forwarded  in  much 
haste,  and  very  near  losing  the  post,  on  the  26th  JSTovem- 
ber  by  the  Atlantic. 

Availing  myself  of  the  first  leisure  moment  I  re-ex- 
amined the  verbal  irregularities,  and  lo !  here  is  another, 
not  in  the  treaty  itself,  but  in  our  united  authorization  to 
you : — really  unimportant,  but  still  tit  to  be  absolutely 
righted. 

I  had  carried  with  me  to  the  F.  0.  your  despatch  "Eo. 
31,  to  give  to  Lord  Clarendon  ocular  demonstration,  by 
shewing  a  single  sentence,  that  the  "clerical  error"  had 
been  mine,  not  yours: — for  your  original  contained  the 
'  word  ^^vjithout"  which,  for  purposes  of  engrossment,  I  had 
turned  into  ^^  within."  Well !  in  drafting  the  paper  to  you 
to  put  this  word  with  its  proper  ultimate,  it  was  necessary 
to  describe  the  locus  in  quo  of  the  mistake  in  the  treaty, 
and  inevitably  and  naturally  your  description  in  No.  31, 
^^Art.  4,  No.  3,  letter  D," — "  staring  one  in  the  face  with 
rapid  strides" — was  adopted. 

Now,  there  exists  in  the  treaty  but  one  Art.  4,  and  in 
that  Art.  4  but  one  letter  D: — in  truth  there  is  not  in  the 
whole  document  another  letter  D: — to  misapply  the  de- 
scription was  therefore  impossible; — but  the  description 
is  inexact,  and  the  vindication  of  positive  truth  is  a  part 
of  the  duty  (is  it  not?)  of  every  genuine  diplomatist. 

Hence,  you  will  perceive  that  the  enclosed  paper  is 
simply  and  strictly  a  cop}'^  or  repetition,  designed  as  a  sub- 
stitute, of  the  one  transmitted  by  the  Atlantic,  only  the 


TO  MONS.  MARCOLETA.  113 

breastwork  numeral  3  being  made  to  yield  to  the  pressure 
df  numeral  4 !     Fiatjustitia  ! 

You  will  perceive  by  the  newspapers  that  Parliament, 
again  prorogued,  is  to  meet  on  the  3d  of  February  next 
"for  the  despatch  of  business."  Her  Majesty's  consid- 
eration for  posterity  will  probably  prevent  her  engaging 
in  the  solemnities  of  the  occasion. 

I  have  at  last  some  reason  to  think  that  the  ministry 
meditate  sending,  early,  if  not  immediately,  a  representa- 
tive to  Washington.  I  refrain,  however,  until  something 
more  definitive  and  explicit  takes  place.  To  me,  Mr. 
Yilliers  appears  the  prominent  and  "(doming  man  "  He 
is  not,  however,  in  perfect  health,  and  may  shrink  from 
the  efifects  of  au  Atlantic  voyage. 

In  conversation  with  the  Prussian  minister  here,  I 
could  perceive  that  he  had  recently  had  his  attention 
called  b}'  his  government  to  the  Abolition  of  Privateering 
question.  I  explained  at  large,  and  he  seemed  to  approve, 
the  views  and  final  ofter  of  the  United  States.  I  let  him 
have,  too,  a  copy  of  your  letter  to  Mr.  Sartiges.  Count 
Bernstorfi*  was  at  St.  Petersburg  during  my  mission  there 
in  1837-39.  He  is  a  loyal,  amiable,  and  attractive  gen- 
tleman, inspiring  confidence,  but  slow  in  exhibiting  intel- 
ligence. Speaking  of  mitigating  the  calamities  of  war, 
by  treaty  stipulations,  or  by  propounding,  as  at  Paris, 
new  articles  of  the  laws  of  nations,  he  told  me  that  I  could 
form  no  idea  of  the  depth  of  ill  will  which  this  govern- 
ment had  inspired  by  its  military  conduct  in  the  Baltic 
and  Black  Seas,  especially  at  Kertch  and  Odessa.  The 
sentiment  pervaded  all  Germany,  if  not  all  Europe. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  78.-T0  MONS.  MAKOOLETA. 

London,  December  1,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  25th  ISTovember  has 
been  received.  Having  very  little  faith  in  the  utility  of 
diplomatic  secrecy  in  a  case  like  the  one  to  which  your  en- 
quiries are  directed,  I  should  probably  not  hesitate  to  answer 
you  fully  in  conversation.    But  the  whole  matter,  accom- 


114  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

plished  and  I  believe  entirely  approved  by  the  President, 
is  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Marcy,  and  may  be  submitted  to 
the  Senate  in  a  few  daj's.  I  prefer,  under  these  circum- 
stances, to  abstain  from  putting  on  paper  anything  upon 
the  subject.  Allow  me,  however,  generally  to  say  that 
as  far  as  respects  Nicaragua,  nothing,  if  I  remember 
aright,  has  been  done  or  proposed  which  you  have  not, 
heretofore,  as  her  representative,  sanctioned. 

I  entirely  agree  with  your  sentiment  as  to  Mr.  Marcy. 
On  my  own  score,  having  done  the  only  business  that  in- 
duced me  to  come  here,  I  am  ready,  at  a  hint,  or  mo- 
ment's warning,  to  resume  the  private  life  which  at  my 
age  is  so  much  more  desirable  than  the  most  glittering 
public  employment. 

With  profound  respects  to  Madame  Marcoleta, 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  very  truly  yrs. 


No.  79 -TO  MR.  MAEOY. 

London,  December  5,  1856. 

Dear  Sir, — I  wrote  by  the  Hermann  three  days  ago, 
though  it  is  probable  the  present  steamer  will  overtake 
her. 

AYhat  I  surmised  in  my  note  of  the  1st  instant  turns  out 
to  be  reality.  I  met  Lord  Clarendon  at  the  Brazilian 
minister's  dinner  on  the  evening  of  the  2d  (his  sovereign's 
fete  day),  and  in  the  course  of  conversation,  apart  from 
other  guests,  he  suddenly  referred  to  some  former  chit- 
chat we  had  had,  and  said,  "We  shall  send  a  minister  to 
Washington  without  delay; — we  shan't  wait  the  incoming 
of  the  new  administration."  I  quietly  expressed  my  grati- 
fication, but  forbore  further  remark.  I  received  no  hint 
as  to  the  person.  His  manner,  and  other  circumstances, 
impress  upon  me  the  conviction  that  the  choice  has  been 
made,  and  that  her  Majesty's  representative  will  be  with 
you  almost  as  soon  as  this  letter.  I  perfectly  well  know, 
but  deem  it  inexpedient  and  unnecessary  to  put  on  paper, 
the  reason  for  this  sudden  ministerial  decision.  It  has  no 
relation  whatever  to  the  yet  unarrived  "Resolute;"  none 
to  the  President  elect.     I  hope  they  will  send  the  right 


TO  MR.  J.  Y.  MASOy.  115 

man.    Of  course,  I  most  scrupulously  avoid  tlie  indelicacy 
and  impertinence  of  intimating  a  preference. 

All  your  summer  visitors  from  this  country,  Lowe, 
Holland,  Delane,  etc.,  have  returned,  loudl}^  expressing 
their  delight.  The  Tunes,  under  the  influence  of  the 
last,  is  becoming  almost  fair  and  eulogistic.  In  a  little 
while,  a  run  to  "  the  States"  will  supersede,  with  the  rich 
and  fashionable,  the  too  crowded  and  vulgar,  because 
close  at  hand,  salons  of  Baden-Baden.  Yesterday  the 
Times  published  the  best  description  of  Niagara  Falls  and 
river  I  have  ever  read,  from  their  correspondent,  Mr. 
Filmore. 

Very  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  80.-T0  ME.  J.  T.  MASON. 

London,  December  8,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  6th  reached  me  this 
morning,  and  I  hasten  to  answer  it,  though,  owing  to  an 
inflamed  eye,  with  the  aid  of  one  of  my  private  secreta- 
ries. 

Mr.  Marcy  has  given  me  no  official  instructions  upon 
the  subject  to  which  you  refer.  He  sent  me  very  early  a 
copy  of  his  admirable  letter  to  Mr.  Sartiges;  and  I  caused 
it  to  be  immediately  published  in  the  London  newspapers, 
under  a  profound  conviction  that  it  was  vastly  too  import- 
ant to  be  hid  under  the  bushel  of  diplomacy.  Li  his  pri- 
vate letter,  he  left  me  at  discretion  to  do  this,  saying,  that 
the  British  government  not  having  addressed  ours  upon 
the  subject  at  all,  he  did  not  wish  me  to  open  the  matter 
to  either  of  the  Lords  Palmerston  or  Clarendon,  but  only, 
in  case  I  was  spoken  to  about  it,  to  be  prepared  to  state 
the  President's  views.  I  have  carefully  conformed  to  this 
idea:  and  perhaps  you  will  agree  with  me,  now  that  I 
have  stated  it,  that  I  had  better  not  depart  from  it. 

I  had  occasion,  some  week  or  two  ago,  in  a  private  let- 
ter, to  fix  Mr.  Marcy 's  attention  on  the  very  manly  and 
liberal  language  uttered  by  Lord  Palmerston  at  Liverpool ; 
and  I  then  ventured  slightly  to  regret  the  offer  of  our  gov- 
ernment, and  to  fear  that  it  would  be  accepted  by  the  re- 


116  TO  MR.  J.  T.  MASON. 

assembled  Congress  at  Paris.  The  qualified  abolition  of 
privateering — that  is,  the  exemption  of  private  property 
on  the  high  seas  from  seizure  by  public  armed  vessels — 
is  undoubtedly  a  great  improvement  upon  the  bald  and 
naked  proposition  of  the  Parisian  Conference:  but  I  do 
not  think  myself  that  we  have  yet  attained  that  point  of 
national  power  which  renders  it  expedient  to  yield  the 
right  of  privateering  upon  any  consideration  whatever. 
If  the  navies  of  England  and  France  combined,  or  the 
fleets  of  England  alone,  are  to  be  relieved  from  the  neces- 
sity of  dispersion,  in  order  to  convoy  and  protect  their 
commerce,  there  is  not  a  point  of  our  immense  coast  on 
which  they  could  not  land  any  amount  of  force  which  they 
might  deem  necessary  in  order  to  countenance  servile  in- 
surrection or  separate  the  States.  The  danger  of  such  a 
thing  may  be  distant,  and  on  our  own  soil  I  should  hope 
we  could  get  the  better  of  any  alliance :  but  I  must  con- 
fess that,  until  by  the  vast  increase  of  our  national  naval 
armament  we  become  more  equal  antagonists  in  the  na- 
tional duel,  I  should  prefer  not  to  diminish  the  ditficulties 
of  our  invasion.  Public  belligerent  force  is  our  weak 
point: — whether  it  be  traceable  to  the  nature  of  our  in- 
stitutions, or  an  unguarded  policy: — this  is  perfectly  well 
known  to  the  statesmen  of  Europe,  and  when  to  this  are 
added  existing  sectional  animosities,  should  they  conceive 
the  project,  as  they  may,  of  assimilating  or  subordinating 
the  Western  to  the  Eastern  Continent,  could  anything  be 
more  flattering  to  their  hopes  than  the  fact  of  our  having 
voluntarily  enabled  them  to  swallow  at  a  single  gulp  our 
comparatively  little  navy  and  army? 

I  beg  pardon  for  saying  so  much,  although  I  could  add 
a  great  deal  more.  Too  much  philanihropy  is  the  vice  of 
the  age.  The  Absolutists  despair  of  their  millennium, 
unless  they  can  somehow  get  the  better  of  American  pe- 
culiarities. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  117 


No.  81.-T0  ME.  MAKOY. 


LoNDOx,  December  12,  185G. 

My  dear  Sir, — Accept  my  thanks  for  your  private  note 
of  the  24th  ult.  I  can  very  well  realize  the  business  op- 
pression to  which  you  are  all  now  liable,  and  to  which  you 
especially,  in  maintaining  the  reputation  achieved  within 
the  last  two  years,  are  forced  to  submit.  You  must  not 
suppose  me  so  inconsiderate  as  to  expect  punctual  replies 
to  the  private  letters  I  write.  I  am  quite  satisfied  in  be- 
lieving that  they  tend  to  keep  you  familiarly  acquainted 
with  political  incidents  and  prospects,  and  the  general 
tone  of  feeling  prevalent  here. 

The  '-'■  Besolate"  has  been  in  the  newspapers  for  some 
days  past.  Of  course,  not  having  heard  from  you  any- 
thing upon  the  subject,  I  can  only  speak  of  her  departure 
and  destination,  in  ordinary  conversation,  as  they  are  rep- 
resented in  the  American  journals  recently  received.  It 
is  obvious  that  a  disposition  exists  to  regard  the  restora- 
tion of  the  alleged  derelict  (though  in  fact  and  in  law  no 
derelict  at  all)  as  something  very  extraordinary  and  liand- 
some.  Preparations  to  receive  her  are  being  made  by  the 
scientific  sympathizers  with  her  Arctic  exploration,  and 
her  officers  will,  on  reaching  Portsmouth,  find  themselves 
objects  of  all  sorts  of  public  feasting  and  welcome.  It  is 
possible,  however,  that  the  continued  stay  in  the  country 
of  the  chiefs  of  the  departments  at  this  season  of  the  year, 
may  deprive  the  manifestation  of  its  more  formal  official- 
ity. It  is  somewhat  agreeable  (in  a  way  you  will  under- 
stand) that  the  determination  to  send  a  successor  to  Mr. 
Cran,ipton,  which  I  communicated  a  week  ago,  was  an- 
nounced before  the  news  of  the  sailing  of  the  "Resolute" 
had  reached  here,  and  without  any  reference  to  it  what- 
ever. 

I  have  felt  restrained,  by  a  paragraph  in  your  private 
letter  of  the  4th  of  August  last,  from  opening  to  Lord 
Clarendon  the  views  of  the  President  on  the  Abolition  of 
Privateering.  Great  Britain  has  in  no  respect,  directly  or 
indirectly,  imitated  the  example  of  the  other  powers  who 
constituted  the  Congress  of  Paris,  in  consulting  upon  this 
subject  the  sentiments  of  the  United  States.  She  has 
maintained  perseveringly  and  no  doubt  intentionally  strict 


118  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

silence.  I  am  a  little  at  a  loss  how  exactly  to  regard  this : 
— but  on  the  whole  take  it  to  indicate  a  consciousness  that 
the  proposition  originated  with  her,  and  is  thought  to  be- 
tray no  friendly  purpose.  Be  this,  however,  as  it  may, 
while  she  abstains  from  intercourse  in  relation  to  it,  I  pre- 
sume I  am  bound  to  remain  aloof.  Circumstances  have 
given  me  the  impression — I  believe  I  have  heretofore  re- 
ferred to  some  of  them — that  your  amendment  will  pre- 
vail, if  the  Conference  reassembles,  an  event  not  yet  ab- 
solutely certain.  Quere? — would  it  be  prudent,  in  advance, 
to  have  the  entire  programme  of  change  in  maritime  law 
sanctioned  by  a  resolution  of  the  Senate?  It  is  best  to 
keep  in  mind  that  this  Parisian  Congress  has  not  thcchar- 
acter  of  a  permanent  body,  and  may  be  persuaded  to 
doubt  whether  your  amendment  is  not  of  uncertain  re- 
sult, or  deficient  in  the  full  and  definite  constitutional 
obligation.  Such  a  doubt  might  be  advantageously  played 
upon  by  those  who  affect  to  understand  the  structure  of 
our  government,  reasoning  with  Prussia,  Austria,  Turkey, 
Russia,  France,  or  even  Sardinia.  I  ought  to  beg  pardon 
for  presumptuously  poaching  on  Mr.  Mason's  preserve. 

Great  interest  is  felt  to  ascertain  what  you  propose 
doing  to  maintain  inviolate  the  security  of  the  Panama 
route.  I  do  not  believe  that  any  disposition  prevails  to 
adopt  the  newspaper  slang,  and  to  be  uneasy  about  your 
cautionary  measures  in  that  quarter.  The  necessity  of 
doing  something  is  frankly  admitted  : — and  if  what  you 
do  be  in  the  interest  of  general  commerce,  you  will  not 
be  quarrelled  with  should  you  hold  a  tight  rein  over  that 
inefficient,  though  possibly  well  meaning,  State  of  Gran- 
ada. 

I  send  you,  more  as  a  curiosity  than  anything  else,  a 
copy  of  two  memorials  addressed  to  the  Congress  of"  the 
United  States,  and  which  I  was  requested,  in  all  form,  to 
transmit  to  the  proper  official  authorities.  It  emanates 
from  a  self-constituted  Committee  at  Sheffield,  who  have 
kindly  undertaken  the  management  of  Foreign  Affairs 
and  the  control  of  diplomacy  everywhere.  The  felicitous 
ease  with  which  they  impute  treason  to  the  functionaries 
of  their  own  government,  and  abuse  a  foreign  one,  is 
quite  refreshing.  I  certainly  could  not  become  accessory 
to  the  presentation  of  any  such  alien  document ;  and  have 
therefore  left  them  to  seek  a  hearing  through  the  channel 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  119 

of  the  post-office,  frankly  telling  them  that,  according  to 
prescribed  rules,  I  did  not  feel  at  liberty  to  use  the  agen- 
cies of  the  Legation  in  forwarding  their  papers.  This  is 
a  single  illustration  of  very  many  attempts  made  to  get 
countenance  and  importance  by  your  minister's  endorse- 
ment. The  other  day,  a  political  enthusiast  in  the  centre 
of  Germany  wrote  me  a  violent  philippic  against  Mr. 
Miller,  our  Despatch  Agent,  for  not  stuffing  the  bag  with 
countless  pamphlets  addressed  to  all  the  Legislators  and 
Governors  of  the  Union,  and  coolly  demanded  that  I 
should  instruct  Mr.  Miller  to  transmit  what  he  denominated 
his  "precious  discoveries"  in  political  science.  Of  course, 
I  answered  him  with  an  entire  approval  of  Mr.  Miller's 
conduct,  gilded  by  the  expression  of  a  profound  regret 
that  the  statesmen  of  my  country  should  thus  incur  "the 
hazard  of  remaining  ignorant  of  his  "precious  discov- 
eries." 

Owing  to  an  inflamed  eye,  I  eschew  for  awhile  the  use 
of  spectacles,  and  have  been  therefore  obliged  to  employ 
the  pen  of  one  of  my  domestic  secretaries. 

By-the-by,  have  you  noticed  that  Mr.  Consul  Matthew 
has  been  appointed  to  Odessa?  Mr.  Oramptou  being 
knighted,  and  Mr.  Rowcroft  dead,  the  only  one  of  your 
victims  remaining  undisposed  of  is  Mr.  Barclay,  in  w^hose 
favor  invention  is  fruitlessly  racked. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — You  will  see  by  the  enclosed  slip  just  cut  from 
the  Globe  newspaper  that  Mr.  Cobden  anticipates  for  your 
conditional  surrender  of  privateering,  an  almost  unani- 
mous decision  in  the  House  of  Commons  in  its  favor.  This 
is  a  sincere,  and  I  believe  a  sound  opinion,  viewing  the 
question  as  an  English  one.  They  will  gain  everything, 
first,  for  the  security  of  their  commerce,  and,  second,  in 
the  concentrative  efficacy  of  their  prodigious  naval  arma- 
ment. War  will  not  endanger  their  merchant  ships  or 
their  manufactures,  and  thus,  relieved  from  all  care  about 
these  vital  interests,  they  may  send  their  fleets  to  bully 
and  thunder  where  they  please.  Opposite  results  may  be 
drawn  from  an  American  view.  Losing  the  right  of  priva- 
teering, in  other  words,  of  assailing  the  vital  interests  of 
our  adversary,  our  means  of  aggression  are  nil.  Our  navy 
must  be  docked ;  and  we  must  be  content  with  whatever 


120  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

terms  the  adversary  in  this  national  duel  ma}^  prescribe 
for  a  peace,  if  indeed  a  peace  would  ever  be'  desirable  or 
attainable.  You  see,  I  have  my  misgivings  on  your  great 
measure  of  chan2:e  in  the  ris-hts  of  nations  at  war.  If  our 
.navy  approached  anywhere  near  to  the  power  of  the  one 
displayed  off  Portsmouth  last  spring,  I  should  be  quite 
willing  to  let  it  take  its  chance  in  defending  our  coast: — 
but  as  it  now  is,  and  as  I  am  afraid,  by  an  unwise  economy, 
it  may  be  long  kept,  it  is  impossible  to  say  at  how  many 
points  of  landing  along  our  coast,  a  war  would  rapidly  be- 
come one  of  invasion.  However,  you  have  no  doubt  con- 
sidered all  these  matters  with  3'our  accustomed  sagacity, 
and  your  policy  must  be  made  to  triumph. 

G.  M.  D. 


^  No.  82.-T0  MK.  MAROY. 

London,  December  16,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Our  steamers  are  rather  disappointing 
us.  The  America  which  left  Liverpool  on  the  6th  Decem- 
ber, and  the  Hermann  which  left  Southampton  three  days 
before,  have  both  been  forced  back  by  damage  from  tem- 
l^estuous  weather.  I  had  mails  in  each :  but  I  presume 
they  will  reach  you  by  other  vessels. 

The  arrival  of  the  "Resolute"  has  created  quite  a  sen- 
sation. Capt.  Hartstene  came  to  London  on  the  afternoon 
of  Saturday  the  13th  instant,  and  I  at  once  prepared  a 
communication,  agreeably  to  your  I^o.  36,  to  ascertain 
from  Lord  Clarendon,  whether  we  might  be  allowed  to 
restore  the  vessel  to  the  British  navy.  This  went  to  the 
F.  0.  on  Sunday  morning.  Hartstene  dined  with  me 
that  evening  :  and  at  about  9  o'clock,  while  yet  'at  table, 
I  received  a  telegraphic  express  from  our  consul  at  Ports- 
mouth, requesting  me  to  apprise  Capt.  Hartstene  that  the 
Queen  had  intimated  an  intention  to  visit  the  Resolute  on 
Tuesday  morning,  and  to  beg  his  return  to  the  ship.  Of 
course,  the  Captain  started  back  to  Portsmouth  early  yes- 
terday morning,  and  by  this  time,  her  Majesty  has  gra- 
ciously welcomed  her  new  and  gallant  guests.  At  the 
time  I  wrote  to  Lord  Clarendon  the  official  letter  I  have 
mentioned,  I  also  sent  a  private  note  requesting  an  inter- 


TO  MR.  MARCr.  121 

view  in  the  course  of  yesterday,  asking  leave  to  bring 
Capt.  Hartstene  with  me.  He  was  out  of  town,  and  only 
received  my  communications  late  in  the  day  at*  his  coun- 
try residence;  sending  me  an  answer  on  Monday  that  he 
would  meet  me  and  Capt.  Hartstene  at  the  F.  0.  to-day 
at  3  P.M.  My  object  is,  should  I  find  that  this  govern- 
ment intend  to  accept  the  Resolute,  of  which  no  doubt  is 
entertained,  to  have  some  understanding  as  to  the  pre- 
ferred manner  of  having  her  formally  made  over  to  Sir 
Charles  Wood's  Board  of  Admiralty.  Perhaps  I  may  have 
time  to  add  to  this  letter  a  short  account  of  to-day's  inter- 
view. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — Just  back  from  F.  0.  His  lordship  had  the  an- 
swer to  my  letter  tendering  the  Resolute  lying  before  him 
unsigned,  and  said  he  would  send  it  in  the  course  of  the 
evening.  He  is  also  to  put  me  without  delay  in  com- 
munication with  the  Admiralty,  though  he  believes  Sir 
Charles  to  be  out  of  town. 

Lord  C.  specially  requested  me  to  repeat  to  you  what 
he  had  said  at  the  Brazilian  minister's  dinner  about  send- 
ing you  a  British  minister.  His  manner  intimated  some 
ditiiculty  in  choosing  out  of  a  number  of  candidates.  But 
the  cabinet  were  upon  it,  and  would  lose  no  time. 

G.  M.  D. 


No.  83 -TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  December  26,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Putting  myself  in  the  Confessional,  I 
should  be  inclined  to  think  that  I  was  bound  to  acknowl- 
edge having  too  hastily  "  acquiesced"  in  the  return  of 
Captain  Hartstene  and  his  associates  on  board  of  a  British 
steamer.  No  matter,  however: — second  thoughts  have 
prevailed : — satisfying  reasons  have  been  assigned  for  the 
change  of  mind  :  and  these  gallant  objects  of  a  boundless 
hospftality  will  speed  their  way  back  (as  now  intended  by 
the  Commander)  by  the  packet  which  leaves  Southamp- 
ton' on  Wednesday  next,  the  31st  instant.  What,  in  the 
mean  time,  will  be  done  with  them,  on  the  score  of  com- 

VOL.  I. — 9 


122  TO  MR.  MARCr 

pliments,  deputations,  feasts,  testimonials,  photographs, 
and  newspaper  eulogies,  it  is  impossible  to  conjecture. 
The  enthusiasm  does  not  yet  seem  to  ebb,  and  it  may  take 
a  fresh  start.  Lord  C.  writes  me  a  private  note,  sajnng 
that  her  Majesty's  government  desire  to  present  to  Capt. 
Hartstene  a  Sword  of  Honor;  and  that  the  Queen  had 
said  to  him  (Lord  C.)  that  she  was  much  pleased  with 
the  Captain  !  The  restoration  of  the  Resolute  has  cer- 
tainly been  the  happiest  act  of  comity  to  a  friendly  power 
ever  devised.  The  feeling  it  has  excited  would  seem 
exaggerated: — yet  there  it  is,  eager,  universal,  and  loud. 
I  am  told  (though  not  by  our  officers)  that  some  of  those 
who  left  her  in  the  ice  shew  mortification,  and  look  ask- 
ance at  the  restorers : — but  they  are  few,  and  avoid  attract- 
ing notice.  The  Washington,  the  steamer  from  Southamp- 
ton, is  a  slow  vessel,  and  our  men  may  therefore  have 
a  long,  cold,  and  disagreeable  voyage.  Capt.  H.  will  of 
course  hurry  to  Washington,  and  give  Mr.  Dobbin  a  full 
narrative. 

The  quarrel  about  the  insurrectionists  of  Neufchatel  is 
rapidly  reaching  the  war  point.  Prussia  is  openly  and 
ostentatiously  arming.  Switzerland,  with  admirable  com- 
posure, exhibits  the  unshaken  resolution  of  conscious  right. 
Her  spirit  is  up,  and  her  people  seem  unanimous.  The 
Absolutists  may  deem  it  expedient  to  stop  the  matter  in 
some  way  or  other,  because  to  allow  the  general  peace  to 
be  broken  merely  to  gratify  a  king's  personal  pride,  or 
to  assert  a  shadowy  suzerrdnete,  don't  suit  modern  notions, 
and  might  disturb  all  the  elements  of  democracy.  Eng- 
land just  now  appears  inclined  towards  the  Swiss: — but, 
in  my  opinion,  she  will  join  ISTapoleon  in  mediating,  upon 
some  plan  which  may  ostensibly  save  the  honor  of  both 
disputants  and  keep  things  quiet.  The  sturdy  land  of 
Tell  will,  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  her  position,  the 
justice  of  her  cause,  the  dread  of  subterranean  fires,  and  the 
cool  and  manly  attitude  she  has  taken,  come  o&  the  vic- 
tor, or  I  shall  be  much  mistaken.  The  thrones  of  Europe 
are  all  equally  affected  by  the  epidemic  of  a  holy  horror 
of  agitation  : — even  the  great  spider  in  the  centre  of  the 
web  keeps  a  steady  eye  on  popular  commotion  and  has 
misgiving  fits. 

I  should  find  it  difficult  to  convey  to  you  a  correct  idea 
of  the  effect  produced  on  this  side  of  the  water  by  your 


TO  MR.  MARGY.  123 

departmental  reports  of  the  1st  December.  Of  these,  the 
most  impressive  and  appreciable  is  the  Treasury.  They, 
somehow  or  other,  insinuate  themselves  almost  every- 
where, and  are  more  read  than  is  generally  supposed. 
Some  men  receive  them  with  frank  delight: — but  the  pre- 
vaiHng  feeling  Avhi'ch  they  produce  is  of  a  different  char- 
acter, resembling  that  which  we  owned  in  the  United  States 
when  the  assault  upon  the  MalakofF  and  Redan  proved 
successful : — we  could  not  deny  the  magnificence  of  the 
feat,  but  we  did  not  relish  it,  and  would  have  preferred 
its  failure.  Precisely  so  with  the  undeniable  achieve- 
ments, the  wonderful'prosperity  and  substantial  power  of 
our  political  system  : — they  can't  be  disputed,  have  even 
the  eulogy  of  words,  but  they  inwardly  provoke  dislike. 

No  one  can  say  when  the  Paris  Congress  will  reassem- 
ble. Its  day  has  been  sliding  along  through  December, 
without  settling  yet.  The  talk  is  for  the  29th  instant:  but  I 
perceive  causes  for  floating  doubts  still :  and  it  would  not 
astonish  me  if  events  postponed  the  matter  until  spring. 
Have  you  noticed  that  the  ministerial  press,  unable  since 
Lord  Palmerston's  Liverpool  speech  to  make  open  fight 
against  your  offered  amendment  to  the  Abolition  of  priva- 
teering, are  contriving  modes  of  avoiding  it  ?  They  say, 
it  is  vague  in  its  terms,  that  you  are  insincere,  that  the 
President's  message  attributes  to  the  European  programme 
what  it  never  meant,  and  so  on.  I^Tow  all  this  appears  to 
me  as  merely  preliminary  to  intriguing  the  Congress  into 
a  doubt  as  to  whether  the  subject  might  not  be  wisely  post- 
poned to  some  indefinite  future  day.  ISTo  doubt,  however, 
you  have  armed  my  colleague  of  Paris  with  all  the  means 
and  powers  necessary  to  surmount  these  captious  pretexts. 

The  East  India  Company's  war  with  Persia  has  become 
a  fixed  fact,  and  of  course  involves,  without  regard  to  Par- 
liament or  People,  the  whole  of  the  British  Empire.  What 
with  this  last  movement,  the  quarrel  with  I^aples,  the 
growling  with  Russia,  the  stir  about  Switzerland,  the  jeal- 
ousy as  to  France,  and  the  approach  of  the  session  of  Par- 
liament, Lord  Palmerstou  would  seem  to  have  his  hands 
full. 

Faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


124  TO  MR.  MAR  or. 


No.  84 -TO  MK.  MAKOT. 

London,  December  30,  1856. 

My  dear  Sir, — Owing  to  the  slow  sailing  of  the  "Wash- 
ington, I  would  decline  writing  by  hei'  and  wait  for  the 
America  on  Saturday  next,  but  as  Captain  Hartstene  and 
his  crew  return  to  the  United  States  on  board  of  her,  I 
wish  the  same  vessel  to  carry  a  notice  to  you. 

Although  I  will  trouble  you  with  a  despatch  by  the 
steamer  of  the  3d  January,  1857,  there  are  a  few  topics 
worth  adverting  to  in  advance. 

1.  Mr.  Villiers  has,  by  the  advice  of  his  physician,  after 
deliberatinarfor  afortnis-ht,  refused  the  American  mission. 
It  is  now  at  the  disposition  of  a  Scotch  Peer,  whose  name 
I  am  not  free  to  mention,  who  is  distinguished  in  the 
diplomatic  line  for  great  intelligence,  winning  deportment, 
and  ultra  liberalism  of  opinion,  who  is  about  forty  years 
of  age,  and  was  Secretary  of  Legation  at  St.  Petersburg 
with  Sir  Hamilton  Seymour  before  the  recent  war. 

2.  The  minister  from  Greece,  Mr.  Tricoupi,  with  whom 
I  am  on  sociable  and  kind  terms,  begged  me  two  days 
ago,  in  consequence  of  instructions  he  had  received,  to  ask 
whether  it  would  not  be  agreeable  to  our  government  to 
change  the  officer  who  represents  it  at  Athens  from  a 
Commercial  Agent  to  a  Consul.  His  reason  for  urging  this 
is  the  real  desire  felt  to  draw  closer  the  ties  of  intercourse 
between  the  United  States  and  Greece.  Nothing  of  nego- 
tiation or  public  attention  can,  by  etiquette  and  usage,  be 
extended  to  a  commercial  agent,  even  though  the  King 
and  Court  would  wish  to  make  an  exception  in  favor  of 
the  American. 

While  on  this  subject,  I  take  occasion  to  send  you  a 
newspaper  published  at  Athens,  Le  Moniteur  Grec,  of  the 
9th  of  December  instant.  It  contains  Mr.  Ranjabe's 
much  celebrated  delineation  of  the  present  social  and  po- 
litical condition  of  Greece  —  which,  if  well  translated, 
might  be  allowed  to  grace  the  columns  of  the  Union. 

3.  The  Sword  of  Honor  designed  by  this  government 
for  Commander  Hartstene  will,  I  have  reason  to  believe, 
be  given  this  direction  : — Lord.  C.  will  transmit  it  to  me, 
accompanied  by  a  letter  of  compliment,  requesting  that 
I  would  forward  it  to  the   American   Executive,  to  be 


TO   MR.  MARCY.  125 

handed,  if  compatible  with  law,  to  the  gallant  officer  who 
has  won  the  Queen's  heart.  Of  course,  I  will  do  with  it 
most  cheerfully  and  promptly  whatever  the  Earl  may  sug- 
gest, and  I  hope  the  Commander  may  find  Congress  dis- 
posed to  let  him  wear  his  badge  of  courtesy. 

4.  Mr.  Miller  has  brought  to  me,  on  deposit,  a  quarto- 
sized  paper  envelope,  with  the  "Department  of  State" 
earmark  on  the  north-east  corner,  and  addressed  to  "J. 
A.  Barnard,  Esq.,  London  and  Port  Stanley  Railway 
Company,  Secretary's  Department,  London."  Both  the 
man  and  the  Company  are,  as  the  polished  Parisian  would 
say,  introuvable,  or,  as  the  classical  Floridian  would  call  it, 
non-comeatibus  in  swampo  ;  for  1  dare  say  it  is  some  scheme 
which  vanished  in  the  making.  Pray  tell  me  what  I  am 
to  do  with  it. 

5.  Your  letter  of  the  12th  December,  whether  "private," 
"  strictly  private,"  "  confidential,"  or  public,  don't  exactly 
appear,  has  reached  me.  It  tells  me  that  I  should  receive 
with  it,  what  I  have  not  received,  to  wit,  a  Cipher  for  our 
Minister  Resident  at  Berne;  and  it  omits  to  tell  me  that  I 
would  receive  what  I  did,  namel}',  a  bidkish  packet  for  the 
Austrian  legation  here,  which  I  presume  ma}^  be  the  rati- 
fied Extradition  Treaty  transmitted  to  you  through  me 
some  month  or  two  ago.  I  have  delivered  the  bidkish 
packet,  but  feel  anxious  and  discomposed  about  the  Ci- 
pher. 

It  may  amuse  you  for  a  vacant  half  hour  to  look  over 
the  slip  I  cut  from  the  Globe  of  last  evening  on  Maritime 
War.  You  are  aware  that  this  newspaper  never  contains 
an  article  repugnant  to  ministerial  views.  This  is  the 
second  of  the  same  sort — tha  first  I  sent  hastily  over  to  Mr. 
Mason.  They  lead  me  to  suspect  that  the  Premier,  not- 
withstanding his  Liverpool  speech,  will  give  your  amend- 
ment a  go-bye. 

Always  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  85.-TO  ME.  MAKOT. 

London,  January  6,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Very  severe  storms  have  occurred  at 
sea,  and  disasters  are  being  constantly  reported.      The 


126  TO   MR.  MARCY. 

coasts,  it  would  seem,  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  are 
strewed  with  wrecks.  I  feel  some  anxiety  about  the 
America,  which  left  Liverpool  on  last  Saturday,  the  3d, 
and  must  have  been  that  very  night  in  a  perfect  tempest. 
She  bore  to  you  my  ]S[os.  35  &  36.  Winter  voyages  are 
rather  to  be  avoided. 

Can  anything,  however,  in  the  shape  of  physical  violence, 
be  as  shocking  as  the  bombardment  of  Canton  ?  Talk  of 
Greytown  after  that!  The  massacre  of  the  innocents  was 
comparatively  heroic.  Poor,  liarmless,  unarmed,  ignorant, 
and  unconscious  creatures,  men,  women,  and  children,  by 
tens  of  thousands,  butchered  with  shot,  shell,  and  fire,  to 
avenge  a  disclaimed  insult  to  a  fraudulent  flag! 

There  would  seem  to  be  accumulating  a  heavy  score 
against  the  ministry,  for  Parliament  to  force  to  settle- 
ment. The  public  sense  is  greatly  shocked  by  Admiral 
Seymour's  infliction,  and  it  may  be  that  the  administra- 
tion will  disavow.  Yet,  there  is  the  amateur  Persian 
war:  and  the  milk  and  water  I^Teapolitan  fizzle:  and  the 
fast  and  loose  game  about  the  Treaty  of  Paris :  and  the 
relaxation  in  the  Gallo-Anglican  ties:  and  the  alliance 
with  Austria :  and  the  lack  of  sympathy  for  Switzerland : 
and  the  shabby  trick  about  the  Income  Tax:  and  the  Pre- 
mier's oft-hand  blunder  in  meddling  with  the  Southamp- 
ton election:  and  so  on,  and  so  on.  Then  the  Opposition 
are  said  to  be  secretly  organizing  under  fresh  leaders, 
Gladstone  and  Graham,  and  to  be  fatally  bent  on  mis- 
chief. Still  and  nevertheless,  to  my  calm  and  disinter- 
ested eye.  Lord  Palmerston  steadily  consolidates  his 
power,  and  becomes  more  popular  and  more  necessary 
every  hour.  lie  and  his  colleagues  are  strong,  too,  in 
their  harmonious  unanimity. 

Statistical  philosophers  have  suggested  as  one  of  their 
deductions  that  assassinations  are  epidemical.  First,  the 
King  of  Naples  attempted: — now  the  good  Archbishop 
of  Paris  slain  at  the  very  altar : — who  next?  and  how 
many?  Some  self-exalted  William  Tell  may  be  moodily 
prowling  about  the  streets  of  Berlin ;  or,  if  the  path  of 
the  disease  be  religious,  why  may  not  the  Pope  fall  as 
well  as  his  representative?  Crimes  in  England  are  count- 
less and  frightful :  but  their  incentive  is  not  piety  nor 
liberty;  it  is  money,  nothing  but  money. 

I  gave  you  some  idea  of  Lord  Kapier,  who  is  coming 


TO  3IR.  MARCr.  127 

over  to  you  as  minister;  but  in  the  Times  of  this  morning 
is  an  article  which  on  his  subject  you  may  as  well  read, 
and  which  I  therefore  cut  out  and  enclose.  The  sole 
ground  of  objection  is  practically  shallow;  for  a  man  of 
iSTapier's  mind  and  character,  instead  of  being  deluded, 
is  disgusted  by  absolutist  absurdities,  and  the  better  fitted 
for  republican  simplicity  and  truth  and  reason,  after  pass- 
ing through  them, 

N^othing  yet  about  the  law  of  maritime  war.  The  Con- 
ference would  seem  to  have  finished  its  business,  except  as 
to  fixing  the  time  for  final  departure  from  the  Principali- 
ties and  Black  Sea  by  Austria  and  England,  which  is  left 
to  be  announced  as  soon  as  the  rectified  line  of  the  Bessara- 
bian  frontier  is  actually  surve3'ed  and  verified.  What  di- 
rection, then,  have  you  given  to  j^our  amendment?  Will 
you  ott'er  it  to  each  Power  separately  ?  and,  having  ob- 
tained the  adoption  of  the  majority,  will  you  give  it  to 
the  world  by  proclamation?  I  see  no  objection,  but 
much  to  attract,  in  this  course,  except  that  Great  Britain, 
who  has  somewhat  suspiciously  stood  aloof  from  you  on 
the  whole  business,  may  meet  you  at  the  close  by  saying 
she  was  no  party  to  your  modification. 

The  financial  situation  of  this  government,  always  ex- 
cepting their  debt,  looks  just  now  very  prosperous.  Their 
revenue  has  largely  increased.  Of  a  consequence,  the 
ipopular  demand  is  for  a  reduction  of  taxes  and  a  return 
to  the  peace  footing  existing  before  the  recent  war.  That 
demand  will  be  gratified  only  to  a  limited  extent.  The 
military  taste  has  been  pampered  unceasingly  during  the 
last  six  months,  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  shows,  reviews,  pa- 
rades, feasts,  speeches,  etc.,  and  now  one  is  afraid  to  talk 
of  such  a  process  as  ours  in  1816,  of  razeeing. 

I  send  a  wooden  box  addressed  to  Mr.  Dobbin.  It  is  a 
lithograph-portrait  of  the  Bark  Resolute, — a  vessel  des- 
tined to  outlive  in  histor}^  in  song,  and  on  canvas,  the 
one  that  bore  Jason  in  search  of  the  golden  fleece,  or 
Ulysses  seeking  Penelope,  or  even  Cleopatra  when  fight- 
ing by  Antony's  side  ! 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


128  TO  MR.  HUTCHINSON. 


No.  86 -TO  ME.  HUTCHINSON. 

London,  January  12,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Tours  of  24th  Dec.  received. 

I  propose  sending  to  your  address  shortly,  for  our  City 
Library,  a  set  of  the  Patent  publications  of  this  govern- 
ment. The  despatch  agent  will  manage  their  transmis- 
sion for  me,  so  as  to  incur  as  little  expense  as  possible. 
"What  you  have  called  Blue  Books  are  valueless  trash,  and 
a  collection  of  them  might  fill  a  74. 

I  will  send  at  the  same  time,  and  for  the  same  destina- 
tion, an  antique  daub,  painted,  as  is  believed  here,  in 
1720,  purporting  to  be  "  The  South-East  Prospect  of  the 
City  of  Philadelphia,  by  Peter  Cooper,  Painter."  It  is 
on  torn  canvas,  some  8  feet  long  by  1|  wide.  One  of  the 
members  of  Parliament,  in  peering  among  the  rubbish 
of  a  city  curiosity  shop,  picked  it  up  and  brought  it  to 
me.  The  principal  buildings  of  the  town  of  that  day 
are  pointed  out,  and  twenty-four  good  old  Philadelphia 
householders  are  named  in  a  margin.  Although  worth- 
less on  every  score  but  that  connected  with  "  auld 
lang  syne,"  it  presents  at  half  a  glance  so  striking  a  con- 
trast to  the  "  Consolidated  City  "  of  1857,  that  it  has  its 
interest  for  a  corner  in  Franklin's  institution.  If  your 
colleagues  repudiate  it  as  unworthy,  keep  it  for  me. 

Owing,  I  presume,  to  the  tempestuous  character  of  the 
season,  we  have  been  unusually  long  without  news  from 
home.  I  am  not  as  sanguine  as  you  appear  to  be  about 
the  Central  American  arrangement,  and  therefore  desire 
to  know  the  decision  of  the  Senate.  There  are  trifling 
points  in  it,  at  which  a  filibustering  spirit  may  possibly 
carp.  Indeed,  in  order  to  appreciate  it  correctly,  much 
more  study  of  details  and  bearings  is  necessary  than  will 
be  given  to  it.  If  it  be  rejected,  some  of  the  rejectors 
should  be  required  to  devise  and  carrj^  a  better  scheme. 
We  are  bound  by  the  Clayton  and  Bulwer  treaty  of  1850, 
and,  starting  from  that,  any  project  that  will  remove  the 
difficulties  which  have  arisen  from  opposite  construc- 
tions, may  now  be  calmly  discussed.  If  I  have  done 
anything  by  coming  here,  it  is  by  bringing  about  a  dis- 
position to  listen  without  losing  temper,  and  honestly  to 


TO  MR.  0' SULLIVAN.  129 

contrive  expedients  to  get  rid  of  obstacles  and  avoid  quar- 
relling on  trifles.  This  state  of  feeling  will,  in  the  end, 
secure  something;  effective. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


'& 


No.  87.-TO  ME.  O'SULLIVAN. 

London,  January  12,  1857. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  6th  December,  which  was 
slow  in  reaching  me,  relates  to  an  interesting  subject  on 
which  I  have  felt  myself  somewhat  restrained  by  the  reti- 
cence of  this  government  and  my  instructions.  It  has  never- 
theless entered  into  my  correspondence  with  both  Mr. 
Marcy  and  Mr.  Mason.  I  believe  England  is  the  only  one  of 
the  Powers  represented  in  the  Congress  whicli  announced 
the  new  programme  of  maritime  war,  that  has  abstained 
from  presenting  it  to  the  United  States.  Quite  explainable ! 

In  the  actual  attitude  of  Nations,  I  entirely  coincide 
with  you  in  the  opinion  that  Mr.  Marcy's  proposal  to 
exempt  private  property  on  the  high  seas  from  capture, 
would  work  so  advantageously  for  England  that  her  states- 
men ought  at  once  to  close  with  it.  I  believe  they  will. 
Mr.  Cobden  does  not  doubt  that  when  understood  it  will 
obtain  the  unanimous  sanction  of  the  House  of  Commons. 
Lord  Palmerston  avows  his  theoretical  approbation ;  but 
forbears  to  shew  an  exulting  eagerness  to  catch  at  it. 

But — how  about  the  United  States?  Will  they  be 
benefited  by  abandoning  the  principle  and  practice  of 
voluntary  action,  and  by  so  doubling  at  a  single  stroke  the 
already  resistless  power  of  Great  Britain's  naval  means  of 
invasion  and  blockade  ?  Are  they  prepared  and  disposed 
for  the  national  duel  wherein  the  parties  shall  be  a  small 
squadron  to  the  West,  and  a  cloud  of  concentrated  fleets 
to  the  East  ?  Will  they  make  safety  secondary  to  trade  ? 
Or  can  they  forego  the  simplicity  and  economy  of  their 
federal  system,  and  ceasing  to  trust  emergencies  to  the 
spontaneous  movements  of  popular  defence,  enter  upon 
the  creation  of  large  standing  armies  and  great  navies? 
I  do  not  intend  that  these  interrogatories  shall  be  consid- 
ered, 2>er  se,  argumentative.     They  are  only  sent  to  you  as 


130  TO  JUDGE  KING. 

evidence  that  my  mind  rather  inclines,  in  the  existing  re- 
lations of  America  and  England,  and  perhaps  always  jeal- 
ous of  an  excess  of  philanthropy  in  public  policy,  to  doubt 
the  expediency  of  yielding  the  right  to  employ  privateers, 
no  matter  how  modified  and  upon  any  consideration  what- 
ever. To  be  sure,  these  combined  potentates  of  Europe 
may  try  to  force  their  international  code  upon  us,  and  one 
of  these  days,  with  the  joint  condemnatory  standard  of 
"  Abolition  of  Slavery  and  Privateering,"  they  may  put 
us  on  our  mettle ; — but  the  probability  of  such  an  attack 
is  not  to  be  avoided,  need  not  be  deprecated,  and  may  not 
be  lessened,  by  our  voluntarily  diminishing  the  weapons 
to  repel  it  with. 

I  am  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


Ho.  88 -TO  JUDGE  KING. 

London,  January  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Judge, — I  agree  with  you,  the  wa3's  of  life  are 
a  labyrinth,  and  our  two  actual  positions  are  striking  illus- 
trations. My  peregrinations,  to  be  sure,  are  nothing  com- 
pared to  yours.  You  have  wandered  almost  the  world 
through  :  I  have  (as  yet !)  only  crossed  the  Atlantic.  But 
it  would  have  batfled,  some  thirty  years  ago,  the  most  fore- 
seeing prophetic  vision  to  have  traced  us  to  where  we 
now  are. 

I  don't  know  that  I  am  yet  entitled  to  the  praise  you 
give  me  for  restoring  the  pacific  relations  of  the  two  coun- 
tries permanently.  It  may  possibly  turn  out  to  be  but  a 
deceptive  truce.  The  scheme  of  arrangement  is  before 
the  Senate,  and,  if  sanctioned  by  that  body,  I  verilv  believe 
it  will  put  an  end  forever  to  all  Central  American  difficul- 
ties, without  the  slightest  departure  from  principle  or  honor, 
and  secure  in  that  region  the  most  glorious  fiekl  and  high- 
way of  active  and  untrammelled  commerce  men  have  ever 
witnessed.  The  Senate  may  think  otherwise.  It  is  not 
impossible  that  in  removing  all  the  points  of  controversy 
under  the  Clayton-Bulwer  treaty,  I  have  crossed  the  grain 
of  some  who  wished  to  get  rid  of  that  contract : — and  it  is 
very  likely  that,  in  both  countries,  I  have  provoked  large 


TO    MR.  MARCY.  131 

bodies  of  turbulent  spirits,  by  preventing  them  from  com- 
ing to  blows.  These  are  incidents  inseparable  from  such 
public  measures,  and  must  be  philosophical  I}-  foreseen  as 
liable  to  take  place.  Still,  Marcy  and  his  colleagues  have 
approved  and  adopted,  and  I  cannot  but  hope  the  Senate 
may  do  so  too. 

Do  you  propose  a  trip  to  London  ?  Or  what  are  your 
plans  ?  I  send  my  notion  on  the  legal  proposition  you 
have  stated,  separately. 

I  am  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  89.-TO  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  January  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Since  my  despatch  of  the  9tli  instant, 
nothing  of  interest  has  occurred  worth  relating,  unless  it 
be  the  visit  volunteered  yesterday  by  Lord  Napier. 

He  stayed  for  about  two  hours,  and  conversed  freely. 
His  personal  desire  is  to  reach  Washington  as  early  as 
possible,  not  later,  he  proposes,  than  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary. He  brings  his  wife  and  children  with  him,  and  is 
anxious  to  secure  for  them,  in  advance,  a  furnished  and 
healthfully  situated  house. 

There  was  peculiar  and  attractive  frankness  in  many  of 
his  remarks.  He  said  that  he  had  no  political  position  at 
home,  and  no  fortune  ;  and  although  he  had  a  title,  he  was 
quite  conscious  that,  in  America,  w^ould  avail  him  nothing, 
if  indeed  it  would  not  do  him  harm.  He  was  aware  also 
that  in  England  there  was  a  considerable  party  who  would 
not  consider  him  the  proper  man  for  the  mission,  who 
appreciated  its  great  importance  justly,  and  desired  the 
selection  of  such  a  statesman  of  acknowledged  weight  as 
Lord  Carlisle,  or  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  or  the  Earl  of 
Elgin.  These  ideas  made  him  uneasy.  But  he  had  been 
habitually  and  from  convictiou  an  admirer  and  student  of 
American  character,  and  he  hoped  to  get  on  by  promoting 
with  his  best  exertions  the  friendly  relations  of  the  two 
nations. 

Of  course  I  encouraged  his  modesty,  and  assured  him 
that  success  or  failure  in  his  mission,  as  far  as  our  public 


132      .  TO  MR.  MARCY. 

men  and  society  were   concerned,  would   depend  upon 
himself  alone. 

At  first,  this  gentleman  will  seem  to  you  cold,  a  little 
awkward,  and  disposed  to  silence,  like  all  the  best  bred 
and  best  minded  Englishmen  I  have  yet  met : — but  I  think 
it  fair  to  sa}^  that,  in  the  course  of  the  two  hours  he  gave 
me,  notwithstanding  his  comparatively  youthful  appear- 
ance, I  became  aware  that  he  was  a  man  of  remarkable 
ability,  of  sound  unprejudiced  judgment,  and  of  elevated 
sentiments  of  morality  and  honor.  I  hope  and  believe 
that  you  will  like  him. 

For  the  first  time  an  intimation  is  given  in  one  of  the 
morning  journals  that  the  Queen  may  be- disabled,  from 
her  early  expectations,  opening  Parliament  in  person. 

The  Canada  is  in  her  14th  day,  and  not  yet  heard  of! 
This  goes  to  you  by  the  Arago. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  90.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  January  20,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  private  letter  of  the  5th  January 
I  received  yesterday. 

Your  original  suggestion,  not  to  initiate  ofiicially  with 
this  government  any  interchange  of  views  on  the  Priva- 
teering question,  I  have  watchfully  conformed  to :  — 
always,  however,  upon  the  slightest  approach,  prepared 
to  shew  the  philanthropy,  justice,  and  generosity  of  your 
ofter.  They  have  studiedly  kept  away  from  the  subject, 
although  many  opportunities  for  opening  and  discussing 
it  frankly  have  presented  themselves.  I  suspect  the  exist- 
ence of  divided  councils-^indeed  so  equally  divided  as  to 
prevent  movement.  We  shall  have  it  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons shortly  after  the  session  opens,  a  fortnight  hence. 

Until  within  this  last  year,  I  had  been  accustomed  to 
regard  the  perpetual  untruths  which  disgrace  our  news- 
papers as  rather  the  results  of  mistake  or  the  discolora- 
tions  of  fancy,  than  as  intentional  falsehoods.  My  charity 
has  lately  been  much  shaken : — for  I  have  seen  so  many 
utterly  unfounded  statements  respecting  myself,  that  I  can 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  133 

find  no  mode  of  accounting  for  them  but  in  a  malignant 
invention  steadily  pursuing  some  unseen  objects. 

I  need  hardly  say  to  you  that  the  paragraphs  which  in 
our  journals  connect  my  name  with  the  coming  cabinet, 
are  all,  from  first  to  last,  false  and  flimsy.  Since  he  left 
London  in  March  last,  not  a  syllable  has  reached  me  from 
our  President  elect; — and  my  correspondence  to  him  has 
been  confined  to  two  letters,  one  relating  to  the  sad 
drowning  of  a  Lancaster  gentleman,  Mr.  Witmer,  and 
another,  more  recent,  covering  a  congratulatory  note  from 
Lady  Alice  Peel,  which,  being  addressed  simply  to  "  the 
President  of  the  United  States, ''  exacted  a  short  explanation 
from  me,  of  my  reason  for  knowing  that  it  was  intended, 
not  for  General  Pierce,  but  for  him.  Nay,  more  ;  I  have 
written  to  you  much  oftener  and  more  freely  than  to  any 
one  else,  and  I  am  quite  sure  that  nothing  has  escaped  me 
respecting  possible  appointments  that  was  not  of  the  most 
general  character.  The  stream  of  misrepresentation  will 
probably  be  kept  flowing  until  after  the  4th  of  March. 

Chess  players  are  sometimes  blind  to  the  most  power- 
ful moves  with  which  they  can  fortify  their  game.  Those 
gentlemen  who  are  unable  to  see  the  preponderating  in- 
fluence in  Central  America,  and  all  around  that  region, 
secured,  by  the  scheme  of  pacification,  to  the  United 
States,  her  policy,  and  her  citizens,  had  better  give  up  the 
?'ofc  of  statesmanship,  and  confine  themselves  to  the  art  of 
managing  personal  and  prurient  explosions  of  predatory 
violence.  Your  treaty  does  everything  for  the  honor  and 
interest  of  the  nation,  and  for  the  independence  and  safety 
of  the  Central  American  States,  in  all  future  time ;  but 
these  sages  think  nothing  done  because  Walker  is  not 
patted  on  the  back  !  Well,  if  the  spirit  of  filibusterism 
can't  see  beyond  the  tip  of  its  nose,  and,  like  abolition- 
ism, it  increases  in  force,  we  shall  ultimately  have,  I  sup- 
pose, to  submit  to  our  "  blind  guides,"  and  let  them  lead 
us  to  calamities  which  they  have  not  the  sagacity  to  pro- 
vide against.  If,  however,  they  will  go  on  in  their  own 
way,  do,  I  beseech  you,  encourage  them  to  appropriate, 
boldly  and  promptly,  all  the  surplus  revenue  to  fleets  and 
forts. 

The  Chinese  and  Persian  wars  are  daily  becoming 
more  substantial :  the  Prussian  and  Swiss  one  has  fiz- 
zled out  under  the  soothing  assurances  of  England  and 


134  TO  MR.  3IARCY. 

France : — and  King  Bomba  is  let  alone.  It  is  well  for 
quidnuncs  that  Parliament  approaches.  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  will  meet  it  in  a  spirit  of  exultation  ;  and  unless  Lord 
John  Russell  be  soured,  the  opposition  will  be  faint.  The 
effect  of  the  Senate's  declining  to  ratify  will  be  worth 
watching. 

I  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  Mr.  Fay  has  apprised 
you,  as  he  did  me,  of  his  having'  safely  received  the 
Cipher. 

You  will  have  by  this  opportunity,  the  Baltic,  the 
brother  of  your  minister  at  Constantinople.  He  brings 
you  a  ])urely  commercial  treaty  with  Persia  for  ratifica- 
tion. He  has  been  a  good  deal  with  us,  and  we  have 
found  him  a  very  intelligent  and  agreeable  traveller. 

Though  not  as  cold  as  with  us,  the  weatherhere,  for  full 
three  months  past,  has  been  raw,  uncomfortable,  and  sug- 
gestive of  suicide.  Very  little  snow  or  ice,  but  much 
rain. 

I  received  in  the  Despatch  Bag  yesterday  a  letter  from 
Paris,  of  the  11th  December,  1856,  which  had  taken  the 
circuitous  route  of  getting  to  London  by  first  going  to 
the  United  States !  It  was  from  Mr.  J.  Y.  Mason,  and 
fortunately  did  not  relate  to  anything  of  importance. 
Such  a  mistake,  however,  might,  under  other  circum- 
stances, cause  great  embarrassment. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  91.-T0  ME.  MAEOY. 

London,  January  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — After  having  sealed  the  despatches  and 
letters  for  the  steamer  of  to-morrow,  I  have  just  received 
a  note  from  Lord  Clarendon,  in  which  he  seems  much 
worried  by  the  delay  of  Lord  Napier's  departure,  arising 
exclusively  out  of  domestic  arrangements.  He  tells  me, 
too,  that  he  has  written  you  a  letter  accrediting  Mr.  Lum- 
ley  as  Charge,  so  as  not  to  postpone  any  longer  "  the 
formal  official  renewal  of  our  diplomatic  relations." 

How  far,  in  all  this  loss  of  time,  the  reported  non-rati- 
fication  of  the  treaty  may  have  had  its  effect,  I  cannot 


TO  LORD    CLAREN7)0iV.  135 

pretend  to  say.  Of  Lord  C.'s  sincere  desire  to  do  every- 
thing that  can  contribute  to  make  by-gones  by-gones,  I 
am  unable  to  entertain  a  doubt.  Still,  negotiators,  like 
other  parental  personages,  are  not  apt  to  be  gratified  by 
the  crucifixion  of  their  offspring.  At  least  such  is  my 
opinion  just  now. 

I  send  you  to-day  three  swords,  and  all  for  naval  officers. 

The  quarrel  between  Prussia  and  Switzerland  is  "a 
dead  cock  in  the  pit,"  and  the  prisoners  are  at  large. 

There  are  editorial  hints  of  changes  in  the  ministry : — 
the  ejection  of  Sir  Robert  Peel,  and  a  coalition  with  the 
Peelites  upon  giving  appropriate  places  to  Mr.  Gladstone 
and  Sir  James  Graham  : — but  I  consider  the  whole  rumor 
apocryphal. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  92.-T0  LOKD  OLAEENDON. 

24  Portland  Place,  January  24,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon, — Your  note  of  yesterday, 
though  received  at  the  eleventh  hour,  came  in  time  to 
permit  my  writing  to  Mr.  Marcy,  and  I  did  so. 

I  have  always  supposed  that  our  scheme  of  pacification 
would  encounter  the  resistance  which  was  met  by  the 
Clayton-Bulwer  treaty  : — aggravated,  perhaps,  by  the  de- 
bility incident  to  a  retiring  administration.  Opposition, 
therefore,  does  not  surprise  me.  But  the  newspapers 
exaggerate  it,  on  the  principle  of  "fanning  the  embers." 
I  have  many  private  letters  from  gentlemen  on  whose  in- 
formation and  judgment  my  reliance  is  implicit,  and  all 
unite  in  saying  that  the  ratification  is  certain.  Still,  like 
yourself,  I  am  anxious,  and  iriipatiently  wait  the  next 
steamer,  which  will  be  due  to-morrow.  The  secret  ses- 
sions of  the  Senate  are  invaded  by  those  only  who  cater 
to  an  appetite  for  new  excitements ;  and  the  deliberations 
and  prospects  connected  with  a  matter  so  important  as 
the  treaty,  are  sure  to  be  falsely  represented.  Remem- 
ber, too,  that  as  the  ratification  requires  two-thirds  of  the 
Senators  present,  there  is  always  room  for  hostile  specu- 
lation and  prophecy. 


136  TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

.  I  cannot  think  the  enlightened  and  judicious  body  be- 
fore which  the  plan  is  pending,  will  be  unwise  enough 
not  to  accept  it. 

Always  faithfully  and  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  93.-TO  ME.  GILPIN. 

London,  January  30,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  25th  December  came 
just  in  time  to  prevent  my  giving  you  up,  as  relapsed  into 
that  feverish  antipathy  to  pen,  ink  and  paper,  for  which 
more  than  a  year  ago  I  worried  you  with  prescriptions. 
I  heartily  thank  you  for  it.  The  contents  were  in  every 
way  kind  and  consolatory.  The  truth  is,  for  the  last  five 
months  the  business-of  the  legation  has  kept  me  hard  and 
close  at  work,  making  it  impossible  to  leave  town,  while 
all  the  rest  of  the  world  were  away : — and,  even  during  the 
hours  of  daylight,  that  is  from  10  to  4,  no  time  was  given 
for  relaxing  and  refreshing  pursuits.  Strange  as  it  may 
seem  to  those  who  entertain  the  common  notion  as  to  the 
idleness  of  diplomatic  life,  although  I  have  been  more 
than  ten  months  in  London,  and  constantly  anxious  to 
visit  objects  worthy  of  attention,  my  feet  have  not  yet 
crossed  the  thresholds  of  Westminster  Abbey,  St.  Paul's, 
the  Tower,  and  hundreds  of  other  interesting  edifices, 
made  classical  by  recollections  associated  with  them,  or 
by  the  purposes  to  which  they  are  now  devoted.  I  have 
allowed  myself  to  be  perhaps  too  much  absorbed  by  the 
substantial  business  undertaken  a  year  ago,  and  which, 
while  a  vestige  remains  to  do,  jealously  excludes  all 
thoughts  of  other  matters.  I  must  confess  that  after  so 
much  systematic  devotion  to  it,  the  prospect  of  the  non- 
ratification  of  the  treaty  is  not  the  most  digestible  thing 
imaginable.  To  be  sure,  the  old  hostility  to  the  Claytou- 
Bulwer  Convention  would  naturally  spring  up  again,  in 
the  hope  of  ultimately  so  impeding  the  pacific  execution 
of  that,  as  to  render  a  formal  legislative  declaration  of  its 
annulment  necessary : — this  I  expected : — but  the  possi- 
bility of  its  even  approaching  to  success  never  entered  se- 
riously into  the  account.    I  cannot  help  thinking  that  the 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  137 

scheme  of  adjustment  is  not  properly  studied  in  its  de- 
tails. Certainly  it  contains  no  pledge,  direct  or  indirect, 
to  sustain  or  encourage  the  individual  Walker: — if  that  be 
deemed  essential,  another  negotiator  is  necessary,  both  to 
make  the  proposal,  and  to  bear  its  rejection: — but,  as  re- 
gards the  expansive  policy  of  our  country,  and  especially 
the  future  opened  for  American  enterprise  and  commerce 
in  the  Central  American  and  West  Indian  regions,  I  am 
quite  convinced  and  conscious  that  the  plan  far  outstrips, 
though  in  a  peaceful,  just,  and  honorable  manner,  the 
crude,  fitful,  and  unlawful  projects  of  our  filibuster-states- 
men. If  it  fail  of  adoption,  these  gentlemen  will  defeat 
their  own  alleged  objects  because  they  are  not  permitted 
to  carry  them  out  in  their  own  peculiar  and  unjustifiable 
way: — a  way  which  is  founded  upon  the  great  vice  of  our 
public  men,  namely,  a  restless  want  of  confidence  in  the 
natural  energies  and  persevering  -progress  of  American 
citizens.  Under  the  stimulus  of  a  safe  and  uninterrupted 
trade,  the  cloud  of  British  naval  armament  dispelled,  and 
one  or  more  free  cities  as  appids,  we  should  in  less  than 
five  years  exercise  controlling  influence  on  the  Isthmus, 
elbow  out  the  Mosquitoes,  render  the  Belise  a  compara- 
tively neglected  and  dwindling  settlement,  and  possibly 
entertain  volunteered  ofters  from  their  respective  owners 
for  the  purchase  of  Cuba  and  Jamaica.  Walker,  Nica- 
ragua Walker,  is,  by  habit,  incapable  of  waiting  this  de- 
velopment, and  may  be  excused  if  he  blunder  so  egre- 
giously  as  not  to  catch  at  the  arrangement  proposed;  but 
that  Judge  D.,  Mr.  S.,  or  Mr.  M.  should  fail  to  appreciate 
correctly  the  practical  consequences  of  it,  is  marvellous 
and  incomprehensible.  Delay  may  have  sharpened  their 
sagacity : — if  so,  the  treaty  will  be  ratified. 

I  interrupt  my  Lord  JSTapier's  industrious  preparations 
for  his  voyage  by  a  diplomatic  dinner  (12  only")  to-morrow ; 
and  this  I  mention  to  shew  you  my  disposition  to  secure 
his  favorable  reception  in  the  United  States,  by  such  en- 
dorsement as  I  can  ofiicially  give.  The  young  gentleman 
I  propose  introducing  to  you,  and  to  Mr.  Everett  and  Mr. 
Bancroft ;  he  is  of  those  tastes  and  attainments,  of  simple 
and  unaffected  manners,  and,  I  think,  of  more  intellect 
than  Crampton  : — his  wife  is  said  to  be  quite  an  agreeable 
person.     He  has  published  a  book  or  two  in  the  nature  of 

VOL.  I. — 10 


138  TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

travelling  observations.  He  is  of  excellent  Scotch  lineage; 
his  great-great-grandfather  having  invented  Logarithms, 
and  the  Duchess  of  Inverness  (now  resideut  in  Kensing- 
ton Palace)  being  his  aunt.  There  is  in  my  office,  hang- 
ing over  the  fireplace,  Doo's  celebrated  engraving  of  Wil- 
kie's  picture  of  John  Knox  preaching  to  Mary  Queen  of 
Scot^,  and  on  his  first  visit  to  me,  Napier  pointed  at  the 
little  boy  standing  near  the  desk  under  the  pulpit,  with 
his  back  to  the  spectator,  and  looking  up  as  if  riveted  by 
the  roaring  speaker,  and  he  said  thai  was  his  renowned 
ancestor.  Perhaps  he  may,  but  my  opinion  is  that  he  will 
not,  reach  Washington  before  the  inauguration. 

I  am  convinced  on  reflection  that,  in  a  former  letter,  I 
told  you  of  my  having  left  the  parcel  you  sent  for  Sir  Charles 
Fellowes.  It  was  done  on  the  same  day  we  visited  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Grote.  The  two  last  called  in  about  a  fortnight, 
having  come  in  from  •the  country  for  the  purpose;  the 
former  has  been  content  with  the  parcel.  Your  friend 
Bright  is  in  Algeria  or  Italy,  in  pursuit  of  health.  No 
one  entertains  a  hope  of  seeing  him  again  in  public  life, 
though  his  relish  for  it  obviously  lingers.  Mr.  Cobden 
will  probably  take  an  active  part  in  the  proceedings  of 
Parliament,  which  opens  on  Tuesday  next,  and  expects 
(naturally,  from  an  English  stand-point  of  view)  to  get  a 
unanimous  vote  catching  at  Mr.  Marcy's  ofier  for  the 
abolition  of  privateering.  The  ministry  are  likely  to  be 
stronger  and  more  popular  than  ever.  They  derive  won- 
derful security  from  the  absence  of  men  fit  to  take  their 
places.  The  Queen  foregoes  reluctantly  the  ceremony 
she  delights  in  of  opening  Parliament  in  person  —  odd 
enough!  since  writing  the  preceding  line,  I  have  been 
told  that  her  Majesty  has  suddenly  announced  her  deter- 
mination to  attend,  quand  meme.     Lord  John  says,  nolo 

European  politics  have,  just  now,  all  the  insipidity  of 
a  game  of  chess  without  a  plan  : — no  great  piece  is  called 
into  action,  and  pawns  are  straggling  over  the  board, 
surprised  at  their  own  progress.  The  affairs  of  Naples 
and  Switzerland  are  by-gones.  The  system  of  confederat- 
ing, for  mutual  support  and  security,  all  the  monarchies, 
through  the  agency  of  Parisian  Conferences,  is  I  think 
firmly  inaugurated.  We  have  on  hand,  however,  two 
pretty  cousiderable  wars,  the  Chinese  and  Persian: — and 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  139 

the  condition  of  Spain  promises  an  early  explosion  and 
imbroglio.  » 

My  despatch  bag  demands  its  food. 

Pray  remember  us  all  most  kindly  to  Mrs.  Gilpin. 

Always  sincerely  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  94.-T0  GENERAL  PIERCE. 

London,  January  30,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — A  highly  respectable  deputation  waited 
upon  me  yesterday  with  the  request  that  I  would  transmit 
to  you  a  Memorial  from  the  European  and  American 
Electro-Telegraph  Company.  They  assured  me  that  their 
only  desire  was  to  let  Congress,  no*v  contemplating  legis- 
lation upon  the  subject,  be  apprised,  if  you  deemed  it 
proper,  of  the  advantages  which  they  conceived  their 
scheme  to  hold  out.  I  promised  simply  to  forward  their 
paper,  and  do  so  now. 

Since  I  left  home,  eleven  months  ago,  Gov.  Marcy  has 
despotically  monopolized  through  despatches  and  letters, 
all  the  thoughts  worth  sending  from  the  legation.  I  beg 
however  to  say,  that  I  have  taken  it  for  granted  that  what 
I  wrote  reached  you  with  as  much  certainty  as  if  directly 
addressed  to  you,  and  of  course  with  less  appearance  of 
presumption  on  my  part.  In  this  view  I  ought  perhaps 
to  apologize  for  having  so  often  intruded  upon  you  the 
light,  crude,  and  fugitive  ideas  and  opinions  of  the  current 
hour  in  this  place.  ISTevertheless,  I  cannot  permit  you 
to  renew  your  enjoyments  and  repose  in  private  life, 
without  once  more,  and  that  shortly,  putting  you  to  the 
trouble  of  reading  a  letter  from,  dear  Sir, 

Ever  most  respectfully  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  95.-T0  MR.  MAROY. 

London,  February  3,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — At  the  soiree  of  Countess  G.  last  night, 
were  a  number  of  the  Privy  Council  (in  their  gold  em- 


140  TO  MR.  MAR  or. 

broidered  suits),  and  one  of  them  said  to  me  that  the 
Queen's  speech  to-day  contained  a  sentence  or  two  upon 
the  United  States.  I  am  therefore  anxious  to  be  at  the 
opening  (which  is  by  Commission)  and  hope  to  get  home 
again  before  5  o'clock,  and  make  a  brief  report  to  you 
for  the  steamer  of  to-morrow  morning. 

Lord  Panmure  took  me  apart  to  express  his  sentiments 
upon  the  subject  of  the  Report  of  our  Secretary  of  War  to 
Congress :  and  pressed  me  very  warmly  to  convey  to 
General  Davis  his  grateful  sense  of  the  manner  in  which 
the  courtesies  shewn  to  our  commissioners,  Messrs.  Dela- 
field,  Mordecai,  and  McClellan,  had  been  noticed  by  him. 

An  expectation  is  prevalent  that  the  ministry  will  be 
more  severely  tried  than  I  had  supposed.  It  is  thought 
that  they  may  founder  on  the  sharp  rocks  of  finance. 
The  call  for  reduction  of  taxes  is  loud  and  general;  and 
though  this  call  is  met  by  the  new  wars  of  China  and 
Persia,  those  wars  are  themselves  condemned  as  artfully 
predetermined  in  order  to  save  the  Income  tax.  The 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  an  honest  and  able  man,  is 
prosaic :  and  in  view  of  this  characteristic,  and  of  the 
emergency,  it  is  foreseen  that  an  effort  will  be  made  to 
bring  in  the  brilliant  oratory  of  Mr.  Gladstone. 

Lord  Napier  tells  me  that  he  has  directions  to  proceed 
to  Washington  without  delay.  But  he  represents  the 
difiiculties  of  getting  ready  in  a  manner  that  satisfies 
me  he  will  not  reach  Washington  before  the  middle  of 
March. 

*  *  *  *  -pj^e  Queen's  speech,  as  read  by  the  Lord 
Chancellor,  contained  as  little  as  it  was  possible  to  put 
together.  On  our  subject  not  a  word  but  that  she  had 
been  negotiating,  and  hoped  all  differences  would  be 
settled.  A  single  j^oini,  the  only  one,  is  the  adoption  of 
the  Canton  massacre. 

My  diplomatic  colleague  of  Lisbon,  Mr.  O'Sullivan,  is 
expected  here  on  a  visit  in  the  course  of  the  present  week. 
Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  MARCY.  141 


No.  96.-T0  ME.  MAEOT. 

London,  February  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Europe  would  seem  to  be  settling  herself 
for  another  long  spell  of  peace.  Fresh  negotiations  on 
the  Persian  war  are  opened  at  Paris  between  Lord  Cowley 
and  Ferouk  Khan : — though  the  Shah  vents  a  measure 
of  indignation  on  the  abrupt  capture  of  Bushire.  If  the 
quarrel  be  not  arrested,  Russia  must  obviously  take  her  part 
in  it,  and  is  already  approaching  the  frontiers  of  Persia,  as 
an  ally  in  case  of  need.  A  member  of  the  cabinet  told 
me  recently  that  it  would  soon  be  settled. 

The  question  as  to  the  union  of  the  two  principalities, 
now  that  Bolgrad  and  the  Isle  of  Serpents  are  disposed 
of,  is  looming  up  into  the  importance  which  I  originally 
ascribed  to  it.  One  of  its  first  fruits  is  to  create  a  new 
division  of  cabinets:  Russia,  France,  and  Prussia  on  one 
side,  for  the  unity : — England,  Austria,  and  Turkey  against 
it.  The  inhabitants  are  represented  as  disposed  to  form  a 
single  nation  and  to  choose  a  foreign  king.  The  3Iomteiir 
has  avowed  the  imperial  sentiment  and  policy.  Qu.  ?  Is 
he  forecasting  for  a  throne  for  Prince  Jerome  ? 

The  affair  of  ISTeufchatel  is  being  arranged,  as  fast  as 
gout  or  grippe  will  permit  the  negotiators  to  indoctrinate 
Louis  Napoleon.  It  cannot  possibly  be  allowed  to  disturb 
the  serenity  of  European  order  again. 

You  will  have  noticed  the  "adjourned  question  of  ve- 
racity," in  the  House  of  Commons,  between  the  Premier 
and  Mr.  Disraeli,  on  the  assertion  made  by  the  latter  that 
"a  secret  treaty"  was  actually  entered  into,  with  the  assent 
and  approbation  of  this  government,  between  France  and 
Austria,  by  which  the  Italian  possessions  of  the  latter  were 
guaranteed  to  her  by  the  former,  while  at  the  same  time 
the  ministry  were  seeking  popularity  by  a  public  affecta- 
tion of  desiring  Italian  nationality.  Three  passages  of 
arms  have  come  off';  and,  until  the  one  of  the  last  evening, 
opinion  leaned  in  Palmerston's  favor.  His  admission 
that,  after  all,  such  a  Convention  was  signed  in  December, 
1854,  reinstates  the  discredited  veracity  of  his  opponent 
and  leaves  him  nothing  to  stand  upon  but  the  general 
reasoning  as  to  the  nature  and  circumstances  of  the  treaty 


142  TO  LORD   CLARENDON. 

not  justifying  the  conclusions  drawn  from  it.     HhQ  fact 
which  he  pronounced  a  romance  he  finally  concedes. 

I  told  Lord  Napier,  who  leaves  in  the  Persia  on  the  2l8t 
instant,  and  therefore  cannot  reach  you  until  after  the  in- 
auguration, that  he  would  experience  no  difficulty  at  our 
custom-house  on  arriving.  But  to  obviate  the  possibility 
of  embarrassment,  may  it  not  be  expedient  that  special 
directions  should  issue? 

The  Queen  came  in  from  "Windsor  Castle  to  Bucking- 
ham Palace  yesterday.  Her  confinement  is  expected  early 
next  month. 

By  the  time  this  reaches  you,  the  new  cabinet  will  be 
known.  Wherever  I  go,  I  am  eagerly  questioned  as  to 
its  composition  ; — but  I  remain  as  profoundly  ignorant  as 
if,  instead  of  being  at  the  grand  distributing  office  of  in- 
formation and  news,  I  was  immured  in  an  Esquimaux  hut, 
at  or  near  the  north  Pole.  I  dare  say,  the  good  quid- 
nuncs here  disbelieve  in  my  alleged  emptiness  and  regard 
me  as  a  sham.  My  correspondents,  yourself  among  the 
number,  have  been  singularly  reticent  upon  the  subject. 

Your  winter  seems  to  have  been  unusually  severe. 
Here,  more  frost  than  is  common.  But  the  last  three  or 
four  days  have  been  delightful  weather ;  and  the  approach 
of  spring  is  heralded  by  the  appearance  of  bunches  of 
crocuses  and  violets  offered  for  sale  in  the  streets. 

My  respects  all  round. 

Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  97.-T0  LOED  OLAEENDON. 

24  Portland  Place,  February  15,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon, — While  impatiently  wait- 
ing the  result  of  Senatorial  advisement  (of  which  I  have 
just  received  cause  for  entertaining  less  doubt  than  ever), 
it  has  struck  me  that  your  lordship  might  be  pleased  to 
see  that  there  was  one  man  at  least  in  the  United  States 
who  seems  to  have  seized,  in  the  midst  of  its  details  and 
complications,  the  essential  spirit  of  our  treaty.  I  enclose 
an  editorial  cut  from  a  New  York  paper  that  reached  me 
yesterday. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR,  CASS.  143 


No.  98.-T0  LOED  CLARENDON. 

24  Portland  Place,  February  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon, — I  received  several  letters 
yesterday  from  Washington.  The  prospect  of  ratification 
is  ver}^  gloomy,  but  the  finality  not  yet  reached.  It  is 
barely  possible  that  the  vigorous  exertions  of  the  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  may  save  the  substance  of  the 
treaty :  but  I  must  confess,  after  what  has  been  said  and 
done,  my  hope,  as  a  Yankee  v^^ould  say,  has  been  whittled 
to  the  smallest  end  of  nothing. 

The  end  cannot  be  reasonably  expected  for  a  week. 
Always  faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  99.-TO  LOED  OLAEENDON. 

24  Portland  Place,  March  3,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon,  —  The  treaty  was  again 
reported  by  the  Committee  to  the  Senate,  with  several 
really  unimportant  amendments.  Forty-five  members 
were  present,  and  thirty  votes,  therefore,  necessary  to  rati- 
fication. Its  friends  seem  to  have  determined  to  avoid  a 
vote  on  that  final  question,  and  to  let  the  responsibility 
lie  with  the  incoming  administration.  Five  more  votes 
would  have  been  enough  to  ratifi/,  but  twenty-five  were  a 
majority  and  suflicient  to  postpone  the  consideration  of  the 
subject  to  the  5th  of  March,  the  day  following  the  inaugu- 
ration :  that  was  effected  by  25  ayes  to  20  noes. 

My  letters  do  not  warrant  me  to  encourage  a  hope  less 
attenuated  than  the  one  I  described  in  answer  to  your 
former  note. 

Believe  me  faithfully  and  resp.  yrs. 


No.  lOO.-TO  MR.  CASS. 

(Unofficial.)  London,  March  10,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  may  be  important  that  you  should 
have  early  the  first  indications  of  opinion  among  public 


144  TO  MR.  WOLFF. 

men  here  on  the  Anti-Privateering  question.  This  ^morn- 
ing's Times  contains  the  report  of  a  debate  last  evening 
in  the  House  of  Commons  touching  that  subject,  and  I 
have  cut  out  the  enclosed  as  worth  sending  to  you. 

At  this  particular  juncture,  when  both  political  parties 
are  preparing  for  a  popular  canvass,  Lord  John  Russell 
seems  to  have  more  than  usual  influence  and  weight.  He 
is  averse  to  the  proposal  made  by  Mr.  Marcy  in  the  letter 
to  Mr.  Sartiges,  and  of  course  to  the  Convention  I  have 
recently  submitted. 

Mr.  Cobden  expresses  an  opposite  sentiment. 

The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  speaks  on  the  point 
with  great  caution,  and,  I  think,  justifies  an  inftrence  that 
we  shall  have  no  reply  to  the  invitation  until  the  elections 
are  over. 

I  am  very  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  lOl.-TO  ME.  WOLPr. 

24  Portland  Place,  March  11,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Wolff, — I  send  you,  in  reply  to  the  mem- 
orandum which  accompanied  your  note,  some  remarks 
and  references,  which,  though  themselves  very  imperfect, 
may  be  serviceable  to  Sir  John  Burgoyne,  in  his  researches 
respecting  the  militia  of  the  United  States. 

Very  sincerely  yrs. 

MEMOKANDUM. 

The  numher  of  the  militia  of  the  United  States,  as  appears  by  the 
Army  Eegister  of  1856,  is  2,421,163.  The  return  for  the  present  year 
will  probably  be  about  2,500,000,  as  it  will  include  what  was  omitted  in 
1856,  the  returns  from  the  State  of  Iowa  and  the  Territories  of  New 
Mexico,  Oregon,  Washington,  Kansas,  and  Nebraska. 

1st.  The  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  Art.  1,  Sect.  8,  CI.  16,  vests 
in  Congress  the  power  to  provide  for  organizing,  arming,  and  disciplin- 
ing the  militia,  and  for  governing  such  part  of  them  as  maybe  employed 
in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  reserving  to  the  States  respectively 
the  appointment  of  the  otficers  and  the  authority  of  training  the  militia 
according  to  the  discipline  prescribed  by  Congress. 

The  following  laws  may  be  examined  to  show  how  this  constitutional 
power  has  been  exorcised  : 

1.  An  act  more  etfcctually  to  provide  for  the  national  defence  by  estab- 
lishing an  uniform  militia  throughout  the  United  States. — Passed  8th 
May,  1792—1  vol.  U.  S.  Statutes  at  Large  271. 


TO  MR.  HUTCHINSON.  I45 

2.  Act  of  6th  July,  1798.     1  St.  at  Large,  576. 

3.  Act  of  2d  March,  1803.     2  St.  at  Large,  207. 

4.  Act  of  3d  March,  1803.     2  St.  at  Large,  215. 

5.  Act  of  10th  April,  1806.     2  St.  at  Large,  359. 

6.  Act  of  18th  April,  1814.     3  St.  at  Large,  134. 

7.  Act  of  20th  April,  1816.     3  St.  at  Large,  295. 

8.  Act  of  12th  May,  1820.  3  St.  at  Large,  577. 

2d.  The  enrolment  in  the  militia  is  variously  regulated  in  the  different 
States,  and  is  enforced  hy  moderate  pecuniary  fines. 

3d.  The  mustering,  training,  and  service  are  gratuitous. 

4th.  The  officers  are  generally  elective,  and  commissioned  by  the  Gov- 
ernor of  the  State. 

5th.  Arms,  ammunition,  and  accoutrements  are  furnished  by  the  sev- 
eral States,  and  deposited  in  arsenals  under  State  militia  officers. 

6th.  Clothing  is  not  furnished,  nor  do  the  militia,  unless  formed  into 
vohmteer  companies  or  called  in  the  service  of  the  United  States,  wear 
uniform. 

7th.  The  acts  of  Congress  already  referred  to  will  show  the  authority 
for  calling  out  the  militia  ;  but  a  clear  comprehension  on  this  point  may 
be  formed  by  consulting  the  following  cases  decided  by  the  highest  ju- 
dicial tribunal :  Martin  v.  Mott,  12  Wheaton's  Reports,  19  ;  Houston  v. 
Moore,  5  Wheaton's  Reports,  1. 

8th.  Numerous  public  documents  upon  the  subject  may  be  consulted  in 
the  two  folio  volumes  of  American  State  Papers  which  are  appropriated 
to  "  Military  Aflairs,"  and  which,  I  presume,  can  be,  as  they  ought  to  be, 
found  in  the  Library  of  the  British  Museum,  and  perhaps  in  the  Libra- 
ries of  Parliament. 


No.  102.-T0  ME.  HUTCHINSON. 

London,  March  16,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  hope  the  five  cases  have  safely  reached 
you.  One  of  the  bills  of  lading  accompanied  them  in  the 
"  City  of  Baltimore:"  the  other  I  have  retained, 

Mr.  M.'s  bill  of  charges  is  enclosed : — in  all  <£5.  12.  0. 
The  Library  Company  can  either  remit  this  amount,  or, 
if  they  prefer  it,  I  will  pay  Mr.  M.  and  be  reimbursed 
when  I  get  home.  The  charges  and  the  freight,  £1.  7. 
10, — say  sixty-three  dollars,  constitute  the  entire  cost  of 
what  I  think  may  be  esteemed  one  of  the  most  valuable 
acquisitions.  I  owe  you  many  thanks  for  having  sug- 
gested to  me  this  mode  of  being  accessory  to  benefiting 
our  city  and  State. 

The  ministry,  outvoted  on  the  Canton  outrage  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  dissolved  Parliament,  and  are  hast- 
ening their  appeal  to  the  country.  They  are  confident 
of  a  triumph,  and  indications  are  thus  far  strongly  in 


146  TO  MR.  DIXON, 

their  favor.  Lord  Palmerston's  personal  popularity  has 
some  resemblance  to  that  of  General  Jackson  :  his  parti- 
sans concede  his  violence  and  his  arrogance,  but  call 
them  an  excess  of  patriotism.  Bluster  seems,  in  all  coun- 
tries, to  have  its  charms  for  the  mass.  The  new  Parlia- 
ment will  meet  probably  about  the  25th  of  May. 
Remember  us  all  afiectiouately  to  your  family. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  103.-T0  MR.  DIXON. 

London,  March  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — We  were  all  gratified  at  hearing  from 
Fitz  that  the  Russian  helmet,  picked  up  on  a  Crimean 
battle-field  the  day  after  the  head  had  been  knocked  out 
of  it,  was  acceptable  to  you.  Armor  of  this  sort  aug- 
ments in  interest  in  a  collection  like  yours,  and  with  the 
lapse  of  every  year. 

I  think  your  beautiful  work  on  Surnames  is  faultless  in 
its  new  edition.  Mrs.  D.,  Phil,  and  I  have  many  thanks 
to  make  for  our  respective  copies.  In  speaking  of  it,  by- 
the-by,  some  days  ago,  to  an  acquaintance,  he  said  he  had 
in  his  library  a  book  upon  the  subject,  which  he  regarded 
as  a  curiously  labored  production,  and  which  he  sent  me 
to  look  over.  It  is  in  two  small  octavo  volumes,  and  is 
entitled  "  An  Essay  on  Family  N'omenclature,  Historical, 
Etymological,  and  Humorous."  The  author  is  'Mark 
Anthony  Lower.'  It  is  probable  that  you  know  and  have 
the  work,  as  its  third  edition  was  printed  in  1849. 
'  I  looked  for  his  notices  of  our  three  names.  Of  Dixon, 
he  says  in  his  list  of  "  sonnames,  nurse  names,  and  diminu- 
tives " — what  you  seem  to  agree  with,  thus  "  Richard, 
Richards,  Richardson.,  Ritchie,  Rickards,  Hitchins  (!), 
Hitchinson,  Hitchcock  (!),  Dick,  Dickson,  Dixon,  Dick- 
ens, Dickinson,  Dickerson." 

Oi  Homer — he  ranks  it  in  a  batch  corresponding  with  the 
designations  of  "  the  divinities  and  celebrated  persons  of 
classical  antiquity,  such  as  Venus,  Mars,  Bacchus,  Homer, 
Tull}^  Horace,  Virgil,  Ctesar.  These  are  doubtless  de- 
rived from  traders'  siffus.     The  former  three  would  be 


TO  DR.  DUGAGHET.  147 

appropriate  for  Inns : — the  remainder  for  the  shops  of 
mediaeval  dealers  in  books  or  their  materials.  So  re- 
cently as  the  last  generation  a  celebrated  publisher  gave 
his  establishment  the  name  of  the  '  Cicero's  Head.'  " 

Of  Dallas — he  places  it  in  a  class  deriving  the  second 
syllable  from  '■'-  Housed  This,  with  your  signification  of 
Dall,  would  make  the  name  purport  "  the  house  in  the 
valley."  I  remember  that  my  father  used  to  sport,  by  ad- 
dressing my  mother  with  a  quotation  from  Swift,  "  Mrs. 
Dal/ioi/^fe,  great  Goddess  of  War!"  etc.,  etc. 

Always  most  truly  yrs. 


No.  104 -TO  DE.  DUOAOHET. 

London,  March  25,  1857. 

My  dear  Dr.  Ducachet, — I  send  you  an  exceedingly 
interesting  judgment,  but  now  pronounced  by  the  Ju- 
dicial Committee  of  the  Privy  Council  on  points  of  church 
furniture  and  ornamentation,  parts  of  'which  would  seem 
somewhat  applicable  to  our  dear  old  St.  Stephen's. 

The  suits  began  in  the  Co'nsistorial  Court,  where  decrees 
were  given  by  Dr.  Lushington  broadly  against  the  use  of 
crosses,  candlesticks,  credence  tables,  and  altars.  Appeals 
were  taken  to  the  Court  of  Arches,  and  Dr.  Lushington's 
decisions  were  affirmed.  Finally,  the  cases  were  taken 
before  the  Judicial  Committee  of  the  Privy  Council,  and, 
after  a  protracted  and  able  argument,  have  ended  in  the 
judgment  I  enclose,  which  affirms  in  part  and  reverses  in 
part,  and  which  is  characterized  by  such  deep  research 
and  sound  sense  that  I  presume  it  will  be  accepted  as 
conclusive  on  the  merits  of  the  controversy. 

It  would  appear  to  be  distinctly  adjudged  that  the  Com- 
munion table  should  be  of  wood  and  movable: — and  I  am 
under  the  impression  that  ours  is  of  white  marble,  and 
too  ponderous  to  be  stirred  without  machinery.  How  is 
this  ?  If  as  I  suppose,  then  I  think  it  would  be  wise  to 
consult  upon  the  subject  in  vestry,  and,  under  your  con- 
trolling advice  and  wisdom,  to  have  such  steps  taken  as 
may  prevent  any  charge  of  deviation  from  material  forms. 
Of  this,  however,  I  am  rather  presumptuous  in  making 


148  TO  MR.  CASS. 

a  suggestion.  You  will  excuse  (won't  yon  ?)  what  springs 
only  from  an  affectionate  interest  in  all  that  relates  to 
yourself  and  our  temple  of  Protestant  worship.  Perhaps 
you  know  that  many  years  ago,  I  assailed  in  verse  the 
cross  surmounting  the  steeple  of  St.  Peter's : — Bishop 
Doane  replied  to  my  rhymes:  and  it  is  now  authorita- 
tively established  that  I  was  wrong  and  the  learned 
Bishop  right.  ^^ Stare  decisis"  is  a  rule  alike  orthodox 
and  conservative. 

Your  disciples  here  are  all  in  good  health,  and  send 
their  kindest  regards  to  Mrs.  Ducachet  and  yourself. 

Always  your  faithful  &  sincere  friend,  etc. 


No.  105 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

LoNDOK,  Ai^ril  2,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Let  me  thank  you  for  your  two  private 
letters  of  the  11th  and  17th  of  March,  which  reached  me 
at  the  same  time  three  days  ago.  They  have  led  me  to 
think  that  the  informal  and  unofficial  correspondence 
which  I  kept  up  with  Mr.  Marcy  may  not  he  unacceptable 
to  you.  One  prefers,  in  lounging  or  in  writing,  not  to  be 
in  full  dress. 

I  pity  you  all  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  Nothing 
can  be  more  deplorable  than  the  harassing  state  of  siege 
to  which  every  new  administration  is  subjected.  Your 
description — which  almost  resolves  the  whole  country  into 
a  heaving  mass  of  Ins  and  Outs — reminds  one  of  the  re- 
cent bo7i-7)iot  of  the  Duke  D'Aumale  who,  speaking  of  the 
social  state  of  Paris,  said  there  were  but  three  classes, 
"les  fonctionnaires,  les  factionnaires  et  les  actionnaires." 

The  elections  here  have  absorbed  attention.  The  whole 
operation  has  been  efiected  with  a  sort  of  '■''  snap-judgment 
rapidity," — much  faster  than  a  debatable  question  would 
be  brought  to  a  vote  in  the  Senate.  John  Bull  can't  bear 
being  without  his  omnipotent  Parliament  for  a  moment. 
lie  fancies  the  whole  social  edifice  at  hazard,  and  he  hur- 
ries blindly  to  manufacture  a  new  one.  Not  one-sixth  of 
the  old  body  will  undergo  change : — and  such  changes  as 
are  made  do  not  spring  from  calm  consideration,  which 


TO  MR.  CASS.  149 

moves  slowly,  but  from  the  personal  passions  of  the  mo- 
ment, which  are  quick  in  striking.  Two  features  of 
result  are  already  quite  obvious  : — a  great  accession  to  the 
incongruous  strength  of  what  is  called  the  Liberal  party, 
and  a  decisive  individual  triumph  to  Lord  Palmerston. 
The  early  scenes  of  the  coming  Parliament  will  be  full  of 
ministerial  exultation;  but  in  the  belief  of  many  astute 
politicians,  this  will  be  short-lived,  for  the  elements  of  dis- 
cord among  Liberals  are  countless  and  impracticable.  If 
Lord  John  Kussell  exhibit  his  usual  tact,  the  city  of  Lon- 
don has  re-endorsed  him  in  a  manner  which  may  make 
him  an  early  successor  to  Lord  Palmerston.  Much,  but 
not  everything  will  be  indicated  by  the  choice  of  a 
Speaker ; — and  it  is  amazing  how  few  gentlemen  of  either 
party  are  admitted  into  the  category  of  the  competent. 

Nothing  worthy  of  a  regular  despatch.  l!^ot  a  syllable 
from  the  Foreign  Office  on  the  maritime  war  Convention. 
The  attitude  of  Lord  John  Russell  as  to  this  will  seriously 
tend  to  defeat  the  movement.  Besides,  Cobdeu  and 
Bright  and  Gibson  and  Walmsley  have  lost  their  elec- 
tions. Yet,  it  is  worth  while  noting  that  a  correspondent 
of  the  Post  is  laboring  a  series  of  essays,  and  with  some 
adroitness  leans  to  the  j^'t^ojei  of  Mr.  Marcy.  I  am  quite 
in  a  fever  to  hear  from  you  on  the  subject. 

Somebody,  it  appears,  finds  access  to  the  -penetirilia  of 
your  department: — for  I  find  in  the  Morning  Star  of  to- 
day, as  extracted  from  the  ]N"ew  York  Herald  of  the  19th 
March,  what  2^rof  esses  to  be  a  copy  of  the  Central  American 
Treaty,  but  what  in  fact  is  a  copy  of  one  of  its  projets  sub- 
sequently altered.  So  that  even  your  unperfected  docu- 
ments are,  for  some  purpose  or  other,  dug  from  their 
dormitories  and  paraded  in  the  papers.  I  wonder  whether 
the  Senators  may  not  have  been  perplexed  with  the  several 
draughts,  adapted  to  my  several  instructions,  which  I  trans- 
mitted to  Mr.  Marcy?  The  mistakes  in  newspapers  as  to 
the  provisions  and  phraseology  of  the  instrument,  are  in- 
numerable and  to  me  incomj^rehensible.  But  fifteen  days 
remain  of  the  six  months  during  which  the  ratifications 
are  to  be  exchanged.  I  suppose  they  will  complain  here 
of  the  short  time  left  them  for  deliberation  on  the  amend- 
ments. They  will  have  ten  days,  not  more,  should  your 
final  instructions  come  by  the  next  steamer.  Perhaps  the 
whole  period  will  be  allowed  to  run  out !     As  soon  as  it 


150  TO   MR.  CASS. 

appears  that  the  proper  moment  has  arrived,  I  shall 
write  you  a  special  letter  ou  a  special  topic  as  regards 
myself. 

Ferouk  Khan  (pronounced  here  Oawn),  the  Persian 
ambassador,  cottons  singularly  to  your  minister.  He 
prides  himself  upon  having  made  the  Treaty  with  Mr. 
Spence:  and  proposes  to  remain  here  until  he  can  ex- 
change its  ratifications.  If  he  did  not  suffer  dreadfully 
from  sea-sickness,  he  assures  me  that  he  would  visit  the 
United  States,  and  expresses  a  hope  that  the  two  coun- 
tries may  soon  interchange  diplomatic  representatives. 

Seiior  Don  Bravo,  the  newly  arrived  envoy  from  Spain, 
is  quite  an  agreeable  gentleman  : — a  genuine  black-eyed, 
blaK3k:-browed,  black-haired,  black-moustached,  sallow- 
tinted,  short,  and  compact  caballero.  With  a  smattering 
of  his  tongue,  fetched  from  the  memories  of.fifty  years  ago, 
I  get  along  with  him  tolerably  well.  They  say  there  are 
shades  on  his  past ;  but  of  that  I  know  nothing. 

The  Greek  minister,  whom  I  esteem  as  one  of  the  most 
intelligent  and  estimable  of  the  Corps,  was  enchanted  on 
my  shewing  him  that  by  our  new  Tariff',  currants,  under  the 
description  of  dried  fruit,  would  be  admitted  at  a  duty  of 
8J  instead  of  the  old  40  per  cent,  ad  valorem.  By-the-by, 
I  wrote  Mr.  Marcy  that  this  gentleman,  in  order  to  culti- 
vate the  intercourse  between  our  and  his  country,  had 
been  instructed  to  suggest  the  expediency  of  our  con- 
verting the  Coinmerdal  Agent  of  ih.Q\]miQdi  States  in  Greece 
into  a  Consul:  the  latter  allowing  more  public  manifesta- 
tion of  regard  from  the  Court.  He  has  spoken  to  me 
again  on  the  subject.  I  presume  Mr.  Marcy  was  preoccu- 
pied with  arranging  old  matters,  and  avoided  new  ones, 
as  he  did  not  notice  the  idea. 

The  news  from  China,  given  out  by  the  ministerial  can- 
didates at  the  hustings,  to  the  effect  that  the  Emperor  did 
not  approve  the  conduct  of  Commissioner  Yeh,  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  well  founded.  Now  that  it  has  served 
its  purpose,  it  is  discredited.  The  electric  telegraph  is  not 
the  most  reliable  agency.  I  perceive  prevailing  here  among 
official  men  a  solicitude  that  the  United  States  should  join 
England  and  France  in  their  proposed  pressure  against 
the  wall  of  exclusiveness  within  which  the  Chinese  choose 
to  exist.  I  retain  the  opinion  expressed  in  a  former  letter, 
that  the  two  powerful  allies  meditate  a  serious  aggressive 


TO  MR.  MARKOE.       *  151 

movement,  if  not  a  military  occupation,  in  the  disorgan- 
ized land  of  Tartars,  Teas,  and  Junks.  The  moment  is 
propitious.  ISTeither  Louis  N'apoleon  nor  Lord  Palmer- 
ston  is  averse  to  maintaining  tranquillity  at  home,  by  turn- 
ing the  public  gaze  to  military  proceedings  at  a  distance. 
The  merchants  do  not  seem  to  apprehend,  as  a  conse- 
quence, any  important  disturbance  of  commerce. 

Allow  me  to  enforce  the  suggestion  made  in  my  last 
despatch,  respecting  the  Supreme  Court's  decision  in  the 
case  of  Dred  Scott,  by  adding  that  if  we  do  not,  in  some 
authentic  form,  let  this  prejudiced  portion  of  the  world 
have  access  to  the  lohole  truth,  it  is  a  hundred  to  one  that 
the  dissentmg  ojnnioiis  of  Judges  McLean  and  Curtis  will 
be  represented  and  almost  universally  received  as  the  Judg- 
ment. As  to  obtaining  from  the  Press  here,  or  anywhere 
in  Europe,  a  fair  and  impartial  exposition  of  the  relation 
of  slavery  to  our  national  constitution,  so  as  to  vindicate 
the  principles  and  practice  of  our  national  democracy,  no 
hope  can  be  conceived  more  chimerical. 

Parliament  is  to  assemble  on  the  30th  of  this  month. 
I  am  told  that  the  swearing  in  of  the  members  will  con- 
sume a  week,  and  no  important  business  will  take  place 
before  the  expiration  of  that  time.  The  Queen  will  not 
open  it  in  person,  as  she  will  hardly  have  recovered  the 
fatigue  of  dropping  another  pearl  in  the  jewelry  casket 
of  her  devoted  subjects.  Her  Majesty  still  drives  out 
every  day,  showing  that  if  there  be  no  royal  road  to 
learning  in  general,  there  is  undoubtedly  one  to  the  mul- 
tiplication table.  Pray  present  my  respects  and  regards 
to  all  around  you,  and  believe  me 

Always  cordially  yrs. 


No.  106.-T0  ME.  MAEKOE. 

London,  April  3,  1857. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Don't  abuse  me — though  you  have 
certainly  a  right  to  do  so — for  putting  ^our  kind  energies 
under  contribution  to  accomplish,  if  possible,  two  small 
purposes  which  I  found  it  impossible  to  avoid  under- 
taking. 


152  >♦       TO  MR.  MARKOE. 

Primero.  Can  the  Secretary  of  War,  under  the  state- 
ments of  the  two  notes  I  enclose,  be  induced  to  spare 
poor  Mr.  W.  H.  B.,  who  unwittingly  enlisted  in  our 
army,  and  has  incurred  the  penalty  of  desertion  ?  His 
family  is  of  high  respectability,  and  I  should  be  much 
pleased  if  they  could  be  gratified  by  having  their  reckless 
kinsman  sent  home. 

Secondo.  Has  there  not  been  published  in  Washing- 
ton a  work  entitled  "  Report  on  the  Commercial  Rela- 
tions of  the  United  States,"  Vol.  1?  The  Department  of 
State  ought  to  possess  it  for  distribution  among  the  for- 
eign legations.  I  certainly  ought  to  have  a  copy.  But  I 
specially  want  a  copy  for  "  The  Statistical  Society,"  and 
if  your  department  can't  order  it  sent  to  me,  you  must 
be  kind  enough  to  direct  any  one  of  the  librarians  on  the 
Avenue  to  address  it  to  me  in  the  next  despatch  bag, 
letting  me  know  the  price  and  debiting  me.  Pishey 
Thomson,  or  his  successor,  I  dare  say  has  the  book. 

Let  me  say  to  you — of  course  in  profound  personal  con- 
fidence— that  the  amendments  made  to  the  treaty  by  the 
Senate  are  a  series  of  miserable  little  criticisms,  doctrinal 
and  verbal,  utterly  unworthy  the  dignity  of  the  body  and 
the  gravity  of  the  occasion.  I  can  scarcely  understand 
how,  by  the  utmost  excitement  of  filibustering  declama- 
tion, such  paltry  picking  should  have  occupied  that  great 
council  for  three  months.  In  a  little  while  the  minority 
will  have  no  resort  but  to  laugh  oif  their  folly  as  well  as 
they  can.  But  two  weeks  left  for  the  exchange  of  ratifi- 
cations, and  yet  I  have  nothing  on  hand  !  Perhaps  this 
beautiful  exhibition  of  senatorial  wisdom  is  to  be  rounded 
off  by — but,  n'irnporie!  —  the  thing  was  satisfactory  all 
round,  to  both  Governments  and  both  Peoples  —  con- 
formed rigidly  even  as  to  phrases  and  terms  to  instruc- 
tions, and  was  most  flatteringly  eulogized  by  Marcy  "  for 
judgment  and  skill"  of  negotiation,  and  eagerly  sanctioned 
by  President  Pierce  and  Queen  Victoria,  and  the  Press  on 
both  sides : — but  it  got  into  a  dark  hole  and  has  been 
nibbled  at  by  rats  in  search  of  food  for  faction.  Unless 
we  go  on  sinking  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  mire  of  filibus- 
terism,  and  encouraging  the  revival  of  the  age  of  buccaneer- 
ing— an  ignominy  not  altogether  impossible — the  treaty, 
with  all  its  faults,  will,  as  John  Q.  said,  "  stand  the  test  of 
time  and  talent."     I  especially  think  so,  because,  after 


TO  MR.  CASS.  153 

being  buffeted  about  by  eminent  men  so  long,  its  sub- 
stance and  spirit  remain  unchanged, 

I  am  waiting  to  hear  from  Washington  about  two  mat- 
ters which  must  be  detinitiv^ely  disposed  of  before  the  mo- 
ment can  arrive  for  adopting  jour  hint  as  to  the  mode  of 
acting  on  my  own  subject.  I  have  no  idea  of  a  peevish 
and  petty  course-: — and  the  instant  all  misconception  of 
motive  can  be  avoided  and  all  imputation  of  idle  pique, 
it  may  be  proper  to  act  frankly  and  finally.  Tliere  has 
been  "negative  pregnant"  enough  not  to  be  mistaken, 
and  I  am  quite  ready  for  what  was  thought  not  unlikely 
when  I  started  on  the  mission.      I  find  no  fault  anywhere. 

Palmerston's  star  is  in  the  ascendant  for  another  i/m?' at 
least.  His  party,  and  his  ministerial  associates  particu- 
larly, are  fiushecl  with  victorious  exultation. 

My  affectionate  regards  to  all. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  107.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

LoxDON,  April  7,  18o7. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  not  had  time  to  prepare  a  de- 
spatch since  Mr.  Evans  came  an  hour  ago  with  the  Central 
American  treaty,  and  your  accompanying  otficial  letter 
of  instruction.  Yet  I  do  not  like  to  allow  the  Fulton  to 
leave  to-morrow  morning  without  a  word  from  me. 

This  matter  will,  of  course,  have  my  earliest  atten- 
tion ;  and,  as  I  agree  with  you  that  the  real  substance  of 
the  arrangement  remains  unaffected  by  the  amendments 
of  the  Senate,  I  have  strong  confidence  that  this  govern- 
ment will,  without  much  delay,  pursue  the  wise  example 
of  the  President.  Varieties  of  opinion  on  an  entangle- 
ment so  complicated  and  so  multifarious  in  its  bearings, 
cannot  be  avoided.  It  is  the  fruit  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer 
treaty. 

I  have  yet  ten  days  before  the  period  for  an  exchange 
of  ratifications  expires.  All  the  necessary  copies  will  be 
prepared  this  evening,  and  the  matter  fully  submitted  to 
Lord  Clarendon  to-morrow  mornino;.  The  only  expuno-ius: 

VOL.  I.-ll  °  J  f         a       >D 


154  TO  MR.  KNEASS. 

on  which  it  is  possible  they  may  hesitate  is  that  relating 

the  grants  of  land. 

Since  my  last,  the  result  of  the  election  in  Middlesex 

s  given 
stoniaus. 


to  the  grants  of  land 

20, 

has  given  a  still  loftier  tone  of  exultation  to  the  Palmer- 


Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  108.-T0  LORD  OLAEENDON. 

24  Portland  Place,  April  7,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon, — I  shall  be  able  to  send 
3'our  lordship,  in  the  morning,  otticial  copies  of  the  treaty, 
with  the  Senate's  amendments,  and  the  President's  ratifi- 
cation, and  the  letter  of  instruction  to  me  from  Mr.  Cass 
on  the  subject. 

In  the  mean  while,  I  have  thought  it  might  be  agreeable 
to  you  to  have  the  draft  I  prepared  for  my  own  use,  by 
which  the  locus  in  quo  and  bearing  of  each  amendment 
might  be  seen  at  a  glance. 

The  temper  of  the  President  is  most  admirable : — his 
acts  better  natured  even  than  his  words.  Your  lordship 
need  not  be  reminded  that  ten  days  only  are  left  of  our 
prescribed  time. 

With  assurances  of  the  highest  consideration. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  109.-T0  ME.  KNEASS. 

London,  April  9,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  19th  ultimo  reached 
me  a  few  days  ago. 

I  have  procured  and  now  transmit  to  you  the  Act  of  the 
British  Parliament,  18  &  19  Vict.  c.  120,  which  you  think 
may  be  usefully  added  to  the  library  of  your  Department 
of  Surveys  in  the  city  goverimient. 

On  the  subject  of  Sewers  and  Drains,  great  activity  and 
research  have  recently  been  manifested  by  the  Board  of 
Public  Works,  at  the  head  of  which  is  Sir  Benjamin  Hall,  in 


TO  MR.  CASS.  155 

order  to  effect  a  permanent  purification  of  this  vast  city : — 
and  it  will  give  rae  pleasure  to  find  myself,  on  taking  the 
necessary  trouble,  able  to  send  you  something  from  this 
source  of  value  to  the  future  health  and  comfort  of  Phila- 
delphia. 

Very  respectfully  your  friend  and  servant. 


No.  IIO.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  10,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Although  I  have  several  irons  in  the 
fire,  there  is  no  business  sutficiently  ripe  for  a  despatch. 

I  sent  the  whole  Central  American  Record  to  the  F.  O. 
three  days  ago,  and  I  saw  Lord  Clarendon  yesterday.  It 
is  obvious  that  the  amendments  are  not  thought  materially 
to  change  the  original  design  and  text,  except  as  to  the 
Land  Grants.  Some  soreness  is  felt  at  the  abrupt  treatment 
experienced  by  the  second  clause  of  the  second  separate 
article,  though  substantially  and  practically  it  reaches  the 
same  end.  His  lordship,  however,  had  not  consulted  his 
colleagues,  and  did  not  intend  expressing  any  opinion 
before  doing  so.  Some  apprehension  as  to  Parliament 
was  intimated ;  and  he  reminded  me  that  Mr.  Gladstone 
had  already  attacked  the  ministry  for  aliening  a  colony 
without  the  consent  of  Parliament  and  without  considera- 
tion. He  said,  too,  among  other  things,  that  their  treaty 
with  Honduras  remained  yet  unratified,  and  this  broad 
handing  over  the  Bay  Islands  bodily,  contained  in  the 
amendment,  to  Honduras,  though  heretofore  not  asked  by 
Honduras,  might  put  her  up  to  reject  the  treaty, — a  far- 
fetched supposition  to  be  sure,  considering  how  immensely 
advantageous  to  Honduras  that  treaty  was  in  respect  to 
the  railway.  He  wanted  me  to  agree  to  extend  the  time 
for  ratification  : — the  cabinet  was  scattered  :  and  its  regu- 
lar meeting  would  not  take  place  before  next  Thursday, 
the  16th.  I  said  that  was  entirely  out  of  my  power: — 
the  expiration  of  the  time  was  prescribed  in  the  instru- 
ment ratified  by  the  President,  and  nothing  could  now 
suspend  or  change  it.  This  conversation  was  casual,  and 
apparently  so   unofiicial  that  I   am  rather  reluctant  in 


156  TO  MR.  CASS. 

repeating  it.  It  certainly,  however,  involved  nothing 
detinitive,  and  had  only  a  tendency  to  disclose  the  per- 
sonal opinions  and  thoughts  of  Lord  C.  for  the  time 
being.  They  have  left  me  under  the  impression,  that, 
notwithstanding  the  rough  handling  of  the  Senate,  the 
treaty  will  finally  be  ratified,  and  the  ratitications  ex- 
changed this  day  week  or  sooner. 

The  spring  is  hastening  on,  with  rich  green  turf,  glow- 
ing flowers,  and  expanding  shrubbery.  The  parks  and 
gardens  and  terraces  of  London  are  already  beautiful,  and 
give  great  comfort  to  those  who  are  kept  in  town.  Ah- 
senie  ParUamento,  fashion  has  flown  back  into  the  coun- 
try ; — to  return  about  the  10th  of  May. 

The  new  House  of  Cofiimons,  it  is  agreed  on  all  sides, 
will  have  an  unwieldy  and  unmanageable  weight  of  Liber- 
alism in  it.  If  that  weight  can  be  solidified  as  a  party, 
distinct  and  'pronoi}cee,  and  be  once  brought  to  move,  it 
will  rush  into  Reform  in  a  manner  to  constitute  an  epoch 
in  British  history.  The  number  of  able,  influential,  and 
active  men  who  think,  talk,  and  act  for  sweeping  political 
and  social  changes,  is  greater  all  over  the  country  than  in 
the  United  States  is  imagined. 

Lord  C.  told  me  that  Lord  ISTapierhad  written  home  in 
the  highest  delight  with  his  new  residence : — that  he  was 
enthusiastic  about  everybody  and  everything: — and  that 
in  such  a  spirit  he  could  not  fail  to  please. 

My  best  respects  to  all  around  you,  and  in  particular  to 
Miss  Cass. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  Ill -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  17,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Lord  C.'s  proposed  j^romo  strikes  me  as 
much  more  open  to  the  senatorial  objections  than  was  the 
clause  as  originally  framed.  It  enlists  the  United  States 
in  favor  of  the  ratification  of  the  Honduras  Convention, 
and  so  aftects  them  with  a  full  knowledge  and  approba- 
tion of  all  its  terms : — it  connects  the  two  treaties  by  a 
direct  and  indissoluble  link. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  157 

ISTow,  the  sole  and  declared  object  of  tlie  original  pro- 
vision was  to  express  the  fact  which  removed  the  Bay 
Ishxnds  from  the  category  of  ditferences  : — that  fact  being 
one  derived  exclusively  from  her  Majesty's  Foreign  Office, 
to  wit,  that  they  had  ceased  to  be  a  British  colony  whose 
existence  was  irreconcilable  with  the  purpose  and  in 
violation  of  the  letter  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer  treaty,  but 
had  become,  under  the  admitted  sovereignty^  of  Honduras, 
a  free  territory.  All  that  loe  had  to  look  to  was  the 
extinction  of  the  British  pretension  to  sovereignty  there, 
and  the  retrocession  of  the  islands  to  Honduras  in  any 
form  or  shape  that  she,  Honduras,  might  be  freely  willing 
to  accept  them.  We  could,  consistently  with  our  public 
principles,  interfere  with  the  terms  of  a  contract  over 
which  Honduras  had  absolute  and  rightful  control,  only 
by  refusing  to  treat  with  England  at  all  unless  she 
announced  the  restoration  of  the  islands  to  Honduras,  and 
their  voluntary  acceptance  as  restored  by  that  republic. 
As  to  the  conditions  upon  which  this  bargain  might  be 
made  agreeable  to  each  other,  either  in  reference  to  the 
actual  inhabitants  of  the  islands,  or  to  the  opening  of  an 
inter-oceanic  railway,  or  any  other  measure  of  sovereign 
action,  our  intermeddling  would  be  intrusive  and  absurd. 

These  were  the  views  of  my  instructions.  Hence  the 
original  provision  in  the  2d  clause  of  the  second  Separate 
Article,  with  which  Mr.  Marcy  expressed  his  approbation, 
as  in  fact  he  and  General  Pierce  did  with  the  whole 
projei  when  matured.  But  the  Senate  did  not  like  the 
provision,  and  have  substituted  another  more  substantial 
and  direct.  And  now  comes  Lord  Clarendon  with  a  jiro- 
viso  that  means  to  assert,  if  it  mean  anything,  that  England 
had  a  mental  reservation,  not  expressed  in  the  original 
provision  or  in  any  part  of  the  treaty,  not  to  hold  herself 
bound,  unless  the  convention  with  Honduras  was  ratiiied, 
by  her  distinct,  palpable,  and  positive  engagement  with 
the  United  States  "to  recognize  and  respect  in  all  future 
time  the  independence  and  rights  of  the  said  free  terri- 
tory as  part  of  the  Republic  of. Honduras."  What  had 
the  United  States  to  do  with  the  ratific-ation  of  their  con- 
vention ?  That  was  their  own  lookout.  K  they  enter- 
tained a  doubt  about  it,  why  not  offer  to  refer  to  it  in 
some  way?  If  they  entertained,  as  probably  they  now 
entertain,  no  doubt  at  all,  then  it  is  not  surprising  that 


158  TO  MR.  KENNEDY. 

they  considered  the  mere  making  of  the  convention  as 
equivalent  to  its  ratification,  and  so  at  once,  and  without 
deeming  it  at  all  expedient  to  communicate  its  contents, 
they  agree  to  start  from  its  making,  and  make  the  stipu- 
lations for  all  future  time  which  I  have  recited.  Wait  for 
ratification,  indeed  !  Look  to  Honduras  for  the  efiicacy 
of  our  treaty  with  Great  Britain  !  I  can  understand  why 
Lord  C.  may  shrink  from  doing  what  the  Senate  requires, 
but  that  he  should  hope  to  extenuate  his  shrinking  by 
oflfering  a  jiroviso  whose  purport  never  would  have  been 
and  never  can  be  accepted  is  incomprehensible  to  me. 

It  is  said  to  be  useless  to  "  cry  over  spilled  milk."  The 
philosophy  is  sound  and  practical.  Nevertheless,  in  ex- 
treme anxiety  to  do  nothing  that  may  afltect  the  public 
interests  injuriously,  I  shall  Avait  to  hear  from  you  on  this 
finality  to  the  year's  efiforts  to  adjust  the  Central  Ameri- 
can questions. 

•I  have  been  obliged  to  write  in  great  haste,  and  possi- 
bly with  a  looseness  which  will  tax  your  indulgent  kind- 
ness. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  112.-T0  ME.  KENNEDY. 

London,  April  21,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  parcel  addressed  to  the  Bishop  of 
Oxford  arrived  safely;  and  of  course  you  know  that  I  shall 
take  pleasure  in  conforming  to  your  wishes  about  it. 

I  furnished  his  lordshi];)  in  July  last  some  American  ex- 
perience on  the  execution  of  capital  sentences  in  private: 
— too  late  for  use  in  the  then  existing  Parliament.  He 
has  the  reform  much  at  heart:  but  all  reforms  here  are 
slow  in  gathering  confidence,  and  their  advocates  omit 
nothing  to  strengthen  themselves  against  resistance,  be- 
fore making  the  final  push.  The  United  States  is  a  quiver 
full  of  arrows  for  them  : — teeming  with  successful  experi- 
ments in  all  practical  improvements.  It  is  really  quite 
surprising,  and  certainly  not  disagreeable,  to  note  the 
numberless  ways  in  which  the  new  world  has  turned 
teacher  to  the  old. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  159 

I  will  not  forget  the  Dean  of  St,  Panl's. 

The  relations  of  the  two  countries  are,  I  hope,  inde- 
pendent of  diplomatic  formularies:  as  the  Central  Ameri- 
can treaty  returned  here  with  only  a  single  feather  on  its 
back  that  broke  it  down.  The  point  of  difference  be- 
tween the  Senate  and  the  ministry  was  whittled  to  the 
smallest  end  of  nothing.  It  is  possible,  after  swallowing 
a  camel,  to  gasp  at  a  gnat. 

Pray  present  the  best  regards  of  Mrs.  D.  and  myself  to 
Mrs.  K. 

Very  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  113 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  April  24,  1857. 

,    My  dear  Sir, — ^You  get  by  this  steamer  more  of  my 
writing  than  yon  will  be  able  to  tolerate. 

^Mr^^.  was  yesterday  entrusted  with  a  despatch  which  oV'/ 
failed  to  go  on  Wednesday  owing  to  an  accident  happening 
to  the  Hermann.  He  carries  also  back,  in  virgin  purity, 
the  unexchanged  ratification  of  the  Central  American 
treaty.  As  bearer  of  a  private  letter  from  Mr.  Buchanan 
to  Lord  Clarendon,  he  was  most  kindly  and  courteously 
treated  by  his  lordship. 

The  coap-de-grdce  given  to  the  treaty  has,  as  yet,  been 
unnoticed  in  the  newspapers.     This  I  presume  to  arise 
from  an  uncertainty  as  to  the  most  expedient  course  in        ' 
reference  to  its  effect  on  the  new  Parliament.     Even  the 
fact  is  unmentioned. 

The  foreign  ministers  at  this  Court  are  invited  (or  sum- 
moned) to  be  present  in  Manchester  on  the  5th  of  May 
next,  at  the  opening  of  the  Art  Treasures  Exhibition, 
destined,  under  the  auspices  of  Prince  Albert,  to  surpass 
everything  of  the  sort  ever  undertaken  ! 

Lord  Lyndhurst  sets  us  all  a  capital  example.  He  is 
85,  and  yet,  as  Mr.  E.  will  tell  you,  at  a  crowded  soiree 
two  nights  agafhe  was  the  observed  of  all  observers  as 
well  with  ladies  as  gentlemen  : — that  too  in  the  drawing- 
room  of  a  Liberal,  although  he  is  an  incurable  Tory, 

The  Queen  recovers  more  rapidly  than  would  a  farmer's 

^  / 


160  TO   COL.  MURRAY. 

wife.  It  is  even  surmised  that  her  Majesty  may  be  ener- 
getic enough  to  open  Parliament  in  person  this  day  week. 
She  is  fond  of  going  through  that  ceremony,  which  she 
is  said  to  perform  with  peculiar  grace  and  emphasis. 

The  imbroglio  between  Austria  and  Sardinia  promises 
to  disturb  the  serenity  of  European  politics.  Count  Ca- 
vour  overwhelmed  Count  Buol  with  too  much  united 
force  and  quiet: — the  latter,  of  course,  can't  forgive.  As 
to  Switzerland  and  Prussia  about  llTeufchatel,  the  contro- 
versy is  finally  hushed  up  by  Fiance  and  England  to  the 
disadvantage  of  the  Republic.  She  pays  money,  and 
permits  a  title  derogatory  to  her  territorial  independ- 
ence. 

Lord  Elgin  is  ofl'  for  Hong-Kong,  So  are  land  and 
naval  reinforcements,  quite  enough  to  plant  a  colony 
wherever  they  please  among  the  distracted  and  decadent 
Chinese. 

Cordially  yrs. 


No.  114 -TO  COL.  MUKEAY. 

London,  April  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  packet  for  Mr.  D.  was  received 
and  forwarded  to  Mr,  Mason  in  a  despatch  bag. 

General  Mercer  is  one  of  those  clear  thinkers  who  are 
not  easily  misled  by  mere  appearance  or  sound.  Our 
sj'stem  constitutes,  as  the  final  negotiator  of  treaties,  a 
popular  body  of  62  members!  They  amend  such  instru- 
ments with  all  the  freedom  they  amend  ordinary  bills, 
engrafting  each  his  peculiar  notion,  and  indulging  clap- 
trap and  bunkum  without  stint.  This  is  diplomacy  run 
riot: — and  one  must  not  be  astonished  at  finding  foreign 
powers  occasionally  restive  under  its  operation.  As  early 
as  1794,  our  Senate  struck  whole  clauses  from  Chief  Jus- 
tice Jay's  treaty: — in  1824,  they  so  mutilated  one  made 
by  Mr.  Rush,  that  this  government  refused,  just  as  they 
have  now  refused,  to  exchange  the  ratifications.  Who- 
ever was  the  Senator  to  ofter  the  amendment  to  strike 
out  and  insert  the  twenty  words  about  the  Bay  Islands,  he 
alone  has  the  glory  of  killing  the  treaty : — as  to  all  the 


TO  MR.  CASS.  161 

other  paltry  picking,  it  was  regarded  with  indifference  : — 
that  was  esteemed  an  intolerable  dictation,  and,  though 
with  extreme  reluctance,  was  visited  with  a  tit  for  tat. 
Nothing  was  more  perfectly  innocuous  than  the  clause  as 
it  originally  stood ;  hut  its  treatment  has,  I  fear,  given 
the  adversary  a  very  dangerous  weapon  to  light  with. 
Whence  came  that  truly  valiant  and  filibustering  amend- 
ment ? — that,  to  us,  is  shrouded  in  senatorial  secrecy — 
but  //  is  known  here,  and  will  amaze  us,  they  say,  here- 
after.    An  outside  concoction  ? 

The  Cobden  party  committed  a  blunder,  and  dearly 
have  they  answered  it: — not  in  moving  against  the  Chi- 
nese war,  but  in,  immediately  upon  success  tliere,  con- 
senting to  assume  a  defensive  attitude  against  the  charge 
of  coalition.  They  found  out  their  mistake  at  too  late  a 
stage  of  the  canvass. 

After  all,  blustering  goes  a  mighty  distance  in  practical 
politics — and  of  that  Lord  Palmerston  employs  no  small 
a  load. 

Very  truly  always  yrs. 


No.  115.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  send  a  cutting  from  the  Spectator  of 
the  25th  inst.  It  is,  as  you  know,  the  best  iceeldy  pub- 
lished in  London.  This  is  the  first  and  only  notice  yet 
taken  of  the  non-exchange  of  ratifications.  I  do  not 
doubt  that  the  intimation  in  the  last  line  is,  in  a  certain 
sense,  well  founded  : — and  that  the  ministers  prefer  that 
the  annunciation  of  their  having  rejected  the  S.enate's 
amendment  shall  be  made  by  them  in  reply  to  parliament- 
ary "interpellations,"  accompanied  by  such  justificatory 
and  soothing  remarks  as  they  may  think  the  occasion 
calls  for. 

The  negotiation  as  to  modifying  the  rules  of  maritime 
war  has  been  formally  suspended.  Ihave  reason  to  know 
that  the  answer  to  our  proposal  has  been  prepared  in 
two  forms,  and  was  on  the  point  of  being  laid  before  the 
cabinet  and  then  sent  to  me.     Both  forms  declined : — 


162  TO  MR.  CASS. 

one  assigning  reasons  at  length,  the  other  merely  saying 
that  just  now  the  ^wqjet  was  not  expedient  in  the  jndg- 
ment  of  her  Majesty's  government.  My  belief  is  that 
Lord  Palmerston  favors  it,  and  that  as  soon  as  he  can  re- 
inforce his  strength  in  the  House  sufficiently  to  beat  Lord 
John  Russell's  opposition  to  it  down,  he  will  make  it  a 
cabinet  question.  Mr.  Lindsay,  a  most  intelligent  and 
re-elected  member,  and  a  devoted  friend  of  Mr.  Cobden 
as  well  as  of  free  trade,  said  to  me  the  other  day  that  this 
was  the  second  time  on  which,  in  reference  to  surrendering 
the  right  to  use  privateers,  we  had  retracted  at  the  very 
moment  when  they  were  persuading  the  government  to 
close  with  the  offer.  "  To  me,"  he  added,  "  it  is  perfectly 
incomprehensible  how  you  can  think  of  giving  up  priva- 
teers, when  you  contrast  the  size  of  our  two  navies." 
He  is  amazed  that  Mr.  Marcy's  proposal  was  not  instantly 
closed  with. 

The  Speaker  of  the  House  will  be  chosen  the  day  after 
to-morrow.  Then  the  swearing  in  will  go  on  for  a  week. 
And  on  Thursday,  the  8th  May,  Parliament  will  be  opened 
by  Commission: — unless  "the  little  lady"  should,  in  the 
mean  time,  muster  strength  enough  to  go  through  a 
shewy  ceremony  in  which  it  is  said  she  acts  her  part  ad- 
mirably, and  of  which  she  is  therefore  naturally  very  fond. 

You  notice  the  assiduous  and  unremitting  courtship  of 
France  and  Russia.  It  will  yet  end  in  something  ecla- 
iante : — especially  if  the  British  press  perseveres  in  its  re- 
cent labors  to  mortify  and  exasperate  the  self-esteem  of 
the  "  degenerated  race."  The  Edinburgh  Review  and  the 
Tiynes\i?iYQ  forcible  and  humbling  thrusts  at  the  undenia- 
ble diminution  of  French  numbers  and  "  physique."  The 
Grand  Duke  Constantine  is  now  the  Imperial  guest  at 
Paris: — and  his  Majesty  the  Czar  is  said  to  contemplate 
a  visit  in  the  course  of  the  summer. 

Your  refusal  to  join  the  hunt  against  the  Chinese  is  not 
relished.  It  is  characterized  as  a  cold,  selfish,  and  iso- 
lating policy : — not  actually  disapproved,  but  extremely 
disliked.  If  they  can't  get  your  representative  out  there 
to  combine  with  them,  they  will  probably  try  their  best  to 
make  his  time  unpleasant: — if  he  side  with  them  in  the 
remotest  manner,  that  will  be  enough  to  produce  upon 
"the  ignorant  Chinese"  all  the  "moral  effect"  they  de- 
sire. 

With  cordial  respects  yrs. 


TO  LADY  MORGAN.  163 


No.  116.-T0  ME.  OASS. 


London,  May  8,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  oracular  speech  of  her  Majesty, 
delivered  yesterday,  through  the  Lord  Chancellor  and 
his  fellow-commissioners,  to  Parliament,  was  sent  to  me 
from  the  F.  0.  late  last  night.  I  enclose  it.  You  will 
note  the  5th  paragraph  as  amazingly  precise,  explana- 
tory, and  clear ! 

Observe  also,  that  though  Reform  be  allowed  a  place,  it 
is  only  Liaw  reform.  Expressio  unius,  etc.  For  this  ses- 
sion, then,  the  ministry  are  for  that  onltj.  It  is  certainly 
important : — but  a  great  deal  more  is  expected,  and  the 
opposition  will  probably  hurry  to  get  in  advance.  Opin- 
ion is  becoming  every  day  bolder.  At  large  public  meet- 
ings, one  hears  not  unfrequently  "No  State  Church," 
" No  legislative  Bishops,"  "No  hereditary  law-makers," 
"No  property  franchise,"  etc.,  etc. 

I  cannot  resist  the  impression  that  this  government 
contemplate  taking  possession  of  a  large  portion  of  the 
southern  territory  of  China.  An  adequate  military  force 
will  soon  be  there,  both  French  and  English : — and  our 
squadron  will  tind  it  hard  work  to  abstain  from  the  general 
foray.  If  you  have  Mr.  Reed  still  with  you,  tell  him  there 
is  a  capital  article  on  the  Chinese  Question  in  the  last,  or 
April,  number  of  the  Edinburgh  Review. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  117.-T0  LADY  MORGAN. 

London,  May  9,  1857. 

My  dear  Lady  Morgan, — It  was  my  intention  to  seize 
the  pleasure  which  your  remark  to  Mrs.  D.  held  out, 
although  somewhat  apprehensive  of  being  an  intruder. 
Your  kind  '•'■  remind''  of  this  morning  gives  to  the  lunch 
on  Monday  an  attraction  not  to  be  resisted,  and  as  my 
countrymen  say  when  wishing  to  make  an  impressive  ap- 
pointment, "You'll  iind  me  thar." 

Always  faithfully,  your  Ladyship's 

Most  obedient  servant. 


164  TO  MR.  PISHEY  THOMSOiV. 


No.  118.-T0  ME.  PISHEY  THOMSON. 

London,  May  9,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Pray  accept  mj'^  very  cordial  thanks  for 
your  letter  of  the  2d  instant.  It  would  have  been  replied  to 
at  once,  but  that  I  was  preparing  for  an  absence  of  seve- 
ral days  in  Manchester. 

I  have  been  much  interested  in  your  account  of  the 
Memorial  proposed  to  be  erected  to  the  Rev.  Jolin  Cot- 
ton in  the  Chapel  connected  with  the  Church  of  St.  Bo- 
tolph  in  Boston,  Lincolnshire;  and  I  shall  feel  it  a 
high  privilege  to  attend  at  the  contemplated  ceremony 
in  grateful  remembrance  of  that  eminent  clergyman. 
Whether  I  shall  be  able,  at  the  time  that  may  be  fixed 
upon  for  the  inauguration,  to  quit  London,  I  cannot  at 
present  say;  but,  as  soon  as  apprised  of  the  day's  being 
ti^nally  designated, — which  I  understood  the  Rev.  G.  B. 
Blenkin  to  say  might  be  at  the  close  of  July  next — I  will 
promptly  determine  that  point  and  let  you  know.  This 
reticence  is  in  a  measure  dictated  by  my  knowing  that 
you  desire  to  give  to  the  solemnity  a  partly  international 
aspect,  which  I  am  not  quite  certain  that  three  months 
hence  it  will  be  in  my  power  to  aid  you  in  doing. 

Mr.  Ingram  was  kind  enough  to  offer  to  send  me  an 
account  of  your  city,  and  I  frankly  accepted  his  ofier, 
supposing  that  it  would  be  in  the  shape  of  an  ordinary 
pamphlet  or  guide-book.  He  has,  however,  sent  me 
your  really  magnificent  and  costly  folio  of  "  The  History 
and  Antiquities  of  Boston,  etc.,  etc."  The  work  is  truly 
beautiful : — but  is  it  not  too  valuable  for  me  to  retain? 

I  remember  you  at  Washington  with  much  pleasure, 
and  regret  to  hear  that  your  health  is  bad.  Should  3'ou 
visit  London  while  I  am  here,  I  beg  that  I  may  have  an 
opportunity  to  renew  our  acquaintance. 

Very  faithfully  and  sincerely  yrs. 


# 


TO  MR.  M.  165 


No.  119 -TO  ME.  M. 

London,  Mny  14,  1857. 

]\Iy  dear  Mr.  Markoe, — A  thousand  thanks  for  "  The 
Commercial  Rehitions,"  one  half  at  least  of  which  I  beg 
yon  to  present  to  Mr.  Flagg.  The  volume  graces  the 
library  of  the  Statistical  Society,  and  lies  ready  to  be 
devoured  on  my  table. 

As  many  acknowledgments  for  your  successful  interces- 
sion with  Secretary  Floyd  about  young  Bamping. 

Indeed,  I  am  very  much  in  your  debt  for  these  and  simi- 
lar acts  of  assistance.  So,  to  wipe  off  a  score  or  two,  let 
me  amuse  you  with  a  reference  to  a  recent  symposium. 

On  jMonday  last,  Lachj  Morgan  (Sydney  Owensou,  the 
Wild  Irish  Girl,  Ida  of  Athens,  etc.)  summoned  me  to  meet 
a  friend  of  hers  at  lunch.  1  went  at  half-past  two.  Her 
house  is  a  small  curiosity  shop,  crowded  with  interesting 
relics.  She  has  Voltaire's  writing  chair,  and  a  sketch 
of  his  study.  The  walls  are  literally  concealed  by  like- 
nesses and  autographs.  Everything,  like  herself,  is  "e?z 
petit"  and  antique,  except  the  music  she  never  fails  to  enlist. 
She  is  so  short  that  when  sitting  her  feet  can't  reach  the 
floor.  Her  vivacity  is  boundless,  and  her  intellectual  attrac- 
tions recognized,  as  you  will  see,  by  the  first  minds  of  the 
age.  She  dresses  as  you  must  imagine  a  discreet  sylph 
would  dress,  that  is,  in  a  mass  of  light,  many-colored  gos- 
samery stulf,  with  ribbons  flying  in  all  directions,  and  a 
fanciful  coquettish  cap.  Well !  she  rouges  highly,  and, 
though  turned  of  eighty,  might  under  the  magnetic  mask 
of  wit,  were  her  sight  and  hearing  not  imperfect,  pass  for 
something  over  fifty.  She  placed  me  on  her  right  at  her 
little  round  table,  and  inquired  in  a  whisper  if  I  was  aware 
of  the  celebrities  present.  "  They  were  a  cluster  of  bril- 
liants, and  I  knew  them  all."  Here  you  have  them.  Close 
on  my  right  sat  3Iacaulai/,  the  fullest  and  fastest  man 
in  conversation  I  ever  met  with: — his  only  defect  an 
uncontrollable  eflbrt,  arising  from  excessive  self-esteeni, 
to  monopolize  the  talk.  On  the  left  of  Lady  Morgan  was 
Lord  Carlisle,  the  Lord  Lieutenant  of  Ireland  (Morpeth). 
Then  came  Hallam  (Middle  Ages),  a  most  interesting 
person  in  appearance  and  manners,  suflfering  to  such  an 


166  TO  MR.  M. 

extent  from  disease  as  to  be  unable  to  walk  without  help, 
and  perhaps  evincing  a  partial  loss  of  mental  energy. 
There  too  was  that  most  excellent  historian  of  Greece, 
Grote,  whom  I  like  and  respect  the  more  every  time  I  see 
him.  Near  him  and  opposite  the  hostess  twinkled  away 
the  pink  eyes  of  Albino  Lowe,  the  only  highly  gifted  indi- 
vidual of  that  species  perhaps  in  being:  and  we  rounded  off 
with  Charles  Villiers,  a  true,  talented,  and  uncompromis- 
ing liberal,  I  had  almost  said  democrat,  albeit  the  brother 
of  Clarendon  :  3Ionckton  3TUiies,  a  poet,  politician,  parlia- 
mentary speaker,  and  ready  converser: — and,  though  last 
far  from  least,  Lady  Combermere. 

Now  I  won't  indulge  in  repeating  the  numberless  admi- 
rable things  said  at  this  cosey  lunch,  during  about  an  hour 
and  a  half.  The  eagerness  to  talk  far  outstripped  the 
eagerness  to  eat.  At  one  time,  I  believe  every  man  was 
leaning  forward  over  the  table  and  giving  to  the  whole 
unlistening  company  his  particular  idea.  The  bursts  of 
merriment  were  unceasing.  If  I  were  a  bookmaking 
tourist,  I  am  certain  that  I  could  expand  the  intellectual 
gold  at  this  lunch  through  an  octavo  of  leaves.  Review 
the  names,  and  realize  its  character. 

I  think  it  very  probable  that  you  would  prefer  a  descrip- 
tion of  some  geological  cabinet,  but  I  have  no  relish  for 
that  sort  of  thing.  Sir  Roderick  Murchison  now  and  then 
walks  me  through  his  rich  collections  of  fragments  of  ores, 
spars,  rocks,  etc.,  and  I  take  it  for  granted  that  they  are 
all  very  curious,  very  valuable,  and  very  instructive  : — but, 
'■'■  chacun  a  son  gofit"  and  mine  never  ran  in  that  direction, 
farther  than  to  admire  your  drawers  full  of  what  I  would 
scarcely  be  willing  to  allow  house-room. 

Did  you  get  Guizot's  study  of  Feel?  That  and  Dr. 
Kane's  book  have  aroused  raovQ  furore  among  the  ordinary 
run  of  readers  here  than  any  other  new  publications. 
Lever  has  just  launched  a  new  novel,  "The  Fortunes  of 
Glencore,"  which  can  be  read  at  a  single  sitting,  though 
in  three  volumes,  and  is  really  full  of  strong  pictures  and 
capital  notions  of  life. 

I  have  a  mind  to  rush  you  into  the  Art  Treasures  Ex- 
hibition at  Manchester,  whose  opening  I  felt  it  a  sort  of 
oihcial  duty  to  attend.  But  the  labor  would  be  intolera- 
ble. You  must  wait  until  another  appropriate  fit  comes 
over  me. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  167 

"We  are  all  well.  Your  notion  of  Florence  is  too  wise 
to  lust.  It  would  benefit  .you,  your  wife,  and  the  whole 
family  : — therefore,  I  take  it  for  granted  you  have  long  since 
given  it  up. 

My  best  love  to  every  one  at  home. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  120.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

LoNDOK,  May  15,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  officers  of  the  Niagara  have 
crowded  my  despatch  bag  with  letters,  official  and  private. 
You  will  probably,  therefore,  have  full  accounts  of  her 
performance  in  crossing  the  Atlantic.  Their  representa- 
tions are  glowing  in  her  favor.  She  was  able  to  accom- 
plish two-thirds  of  her  voyage  in  six  days  : — subsequently 
she  took  it  leisurelj',  and  reached  Gravesend  on  the  eigh- 
teenth after  leaving  the  Narrows. 

I  am  afraid  matters  are  not  as  advanced  on  this  side  as 
they  seem  to  have  been  thought  by  Mr.  Toucey.  There 
is  a  difficulty,  owing  to  her  draft  of  water  and  certain 
unfinished  dredging,  in  her  taking  the  place  in  the  Thames 
originally  assigned,  and,  indeed,  it  was  contemplated,  a 
few  hours  before  she  entered  the  Downs,  to  have  signalled 
and  sent  her  to  Liverpool.  I  cannot  learn  that  the  Cable 
is  near  ready :  and  when  it  shall  be,  the  calculation  seems 
to  be  that  it  cannot  be  stowed  on  board  the  ship  at  a  rate 
more  rapid  than  twenty  miles  of  its  length  per  day : — so 
that  full  two  months  will  be  consumed  in  shipping  alone  the 
1200  mnles.  Should  she  begin  to  receive  her  cargo,  which 
is  a  bold  hope,  by  the  1st  of  June,  she  cannot  finish  load- 
ing before  the  1st  of  August,  even  supposing  no  accident 
or  delay: — and  thus  the  most  advantageous  season  for 
laying  the  wires  must  be  lost.  It  would,  I  think,  be  im- 
j)rudent  to  run  the  risks  of  September  or  October.  On 
the  whole,  unless  Captain  Huason,  or  Professor  Morse, 
apply  the  screw  effectually  to  the  operatives  here,  and 
piush  them  to  a  speed  beyond  all  their  habits,  the  grand 
consummation  will  be  delayed  till  next  summer.  As 
in  military,  so  in  mechanical,  exploits  England  always 


168  TO  MR.  CASS. 

lags  until  tlie  second  or  third  campaign.  The  thing  will 
be  achieved  no  doubt:  but  not  by  any  means  so  promptly 
or  punctually  as  American  goaheadness  would  exact. 

Queen  A^ictoria,  in  spite  of  the  prevailing  popular  pre- 
judice, has  invited  the  Russian  Grand  Duke  Constantine 
to  pay  her  a  visit.  Of  course  such  a  summons  brings  him 
shortly  to  Osborne  : — although  it  is  gossiped  as  an  unpre- 
cedented barbarism  that,  some  years  ago,  when  the  pres- 
ent Emperor  Alexander  was  here  and  at  a  ball,  on  being 
apprised  by  the  Master  of  Ceremonies  that  her  Majesty 
required  him  as  a  partner  in  the  next  quadrille,  he  very 
coolly  and  imperturbably  answered  that  he  was  engaged, 
and  declined  the  honor !  Constantine  is  said  to  be  fatally 
bent  on  the  mischief  of  breaking  asunder  the  Anglo-Gal- 
lican  alliance.     Success  to  the  Imperial  politician  ! 

You  must  not  let  me  worry  you  unreasonably  with  these 
letters.  My  aim  is  to  keep  you  au  fait  to  current  yet 
unofficial  topics  in  this  maelstrom  of  intelligence  and 
bustle.     Stop  me  unhesitatingl}^  as  soon  as  joii  tire. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 

r.  S. — Mr.  Marcy  made  some  arrangement  with  the 
captains  of  the  Cunarders,  by  which  our  despatch  bags 
were  confided  exclusively  to  their  control  and  care.  I 
hate  suspicion,  and  the  plan  may  in  the  long  run  work 
well : — but  when  I  look  at  your  violated  letter  about  New 
Granada,  which  came  by  the  Arabia,  and  compare  its  con- 
tents with  the  speech  of  Lord  Palmerston  on  the  15th  inst., 
I  feel  as  if  I  could  not  explain,  without  offence  to  some 
one,  so  singular  a  coincidence.  If  our  negotiations  become 
delicate,  it  would  be  well  not  to  flinch  from  employing 
special  messengers.  Economy  is  an  excellent  aim,  but  it 
is  possible  to  overshoot  it. 

G.  M.  D. 


No.  121.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  May  26,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Mr.  William  Brown,  of  Liverpool,  ad- 
dressed to  me  the  enclosed  letter  somewhat  too  late  to  be 
sent  in  the  last  despatch  bag.     He  is  so  worthy  of  every 


TO  MR.  CASS.  169 

consideration,  and  respect  that  I  am  sure  you  will  not 
object  to  hear  his  appeal  for  aid  as  to  the  survey  of  the 
railway  route  in  Honduras,  although  it  be  informally  made 
and  may  not  obtain  the  least  acquiescence. 

I  suppose  we  cannot  have  too  many  lines  of  Isthmian 
transit.  Until  some  thirty  years  hence,  when  a  direct  com- 
munication with  the  shores  of  the  Pacific  shall  run  upon 
the  surface  of  bur  own  soil,  it  will  not  be  wise  to  rely 
on  a  single  road  at  Panama,  or  San  Juan,  or  Tehuan- 
tepec.  We  cannot  perhaps  have  too  many  strings  to  our 
bow.  Still,  the  extent  to  which  we  will  co-operate  with 
others,  either  governments  or  companies,  in  projects  for 
opening  these  passages,  deserves  careful  consideration.  I 
think  it  quite  obvious  that  the  commercial  interest  of 
England  is  contemplating  an  extensive  settlement  on  the 
cotton-yielding  lands  of  Southern  China,  and  looks  to 
hold  direct  and  rapid  intercourse  across  the  Isthmus.  As 
peaceable  competitors,  our  merchants,  with  the  advantage 
of  location,  would  distance  them  in  this  trade,  as  they  are 
fast  distancing  them  everywhere: — yet  it  might  not  be 
prudent  to  facilitate  their  selling  cheap  China  cotton  to 
the  manufacturers  of  Manchester. 

Your  private  letter  of  the  5th  instaft  reached  me  but 
two  days  ago.  This  slow  progress  may  have  an  accidental 
cause: — but  my  despatches  from  the  United  States  have 
recently  so  regularly  been  violated  on  their  way,  that  I 
~  am  really  growing  suspicious.  I  mentioned  to  you  on  a 
former  occasion  that  your  despatch  about  New  Granada 
had  been  torn  open  ; — and  by  the  very  next  bag,  a  large 
communication,  with  the  seal  of  the  department,  had 
undergone  the  same  treatment.  The  apprehensions  cre- 
ated by  such  a  state  of  things  destroy  the  unreserved  char- 
acter of  correspondence.  There  is  a  mischievous  Paul 
Pry  somewhere  between  this  and  Washington. 

Thus  far  the  votes  in  Parliament  indicate,  to  a  casual 
observer,  a  large  and  firm  Palmerstonian  majority.  Know- 
ing ones,  however,  say  significantly  "wait  a  little:" — and 
they  mean  by  a  little  a  whole  year  at  least.  B}'  that  time, 
the  strong  infusion  of  Reform  in  the  new  House  will  have 
fermented,  found  its  way  to  the  top,  and  be  prepared  and 
able  to  shake  the  smooth  surface  of  the  ministerial  cal- 
dron. It  is  astonishing  how  patiently  they  bide  their 
time.     The  power  to  "wait"  is  a  great  one. 

VOL.  I. — 12 


170  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Of  course  quidnuncs  affect  great  anxiety  as  to  the  rela- 
tions between  the  two  countries.  The  rejection  of  the 
treaty,  which  they  now  realize,  and  the  spirited  articles 
in  our  newspapers  just  received,  have  created  a  lively  stir. 
The  Press  here  still  holds  back;  an  abstinence  which  may 
be  ascribed  to  a  dread  of  provoking  the  Premier  to  exhibit 
his,  at  this  moment,  Irresistible  power  in  the  Commons, 
and  so  committing  the  country  to  an  extravagance  which 
in  a  twelvemonth  he  will  find  impossible. 

The  Russian  minister  seems  pleased  with  his  news  from 
Washington,  and  prophesies  the  abrogation  by  Congress 
of  the  treaty  of  1850  : — a  proceeding  quite  unequivocally 
represented  to  Lord  Clarendon  when  I  read  to  him  Mr. 
Marcy's  No.  13,  of  24th  May,  1856,  where  it  is  stated  as  a 
resort  to  which  we  might  be  ultimately  driven. 

The  difficulties  about  the  Niagara  rather  increase  than 
lessen.  The  officers,  however,  behave  exceedingly  well 
under  the  circumstances.  They  still  hope  not  to  lose  the 
summer. 

Yery  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  122.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  June  5,  1857. 

My  deak  Sir, — The  "Whitsuntide  Holidays  dispersed 
the  members  of  Parliament  throughout  the  country: — 
and,  under  the  influence  of  animal  magnetism  perhaps,  I 
too  went  out  of  town  for  several  days.  It  is  impossible  to 
imagine  anything  more  beautiful  or  more  perfect  in  all 
its  details,  intra  et  extra  mosnia,  than  the  rural  life  of  a  man 
of  fortune  in  England.  Wlien  the  clear  and  comfortable 
weather  of  early  June  is  superadded,  a  miserable  devil 
emerging  from  the  smoke,  dust,  fog,  and  odor  of  London, 
finds  himself  in  Elysium  among  the  hills  of  Hampshire.  I 
came  back  yesterday. 

Our  good  countrymen,  in  heavy  battalions,  are  winding 
their  way  across  the  island,  to  spread  themselves  all  over 
Europe  and  part  of  Asia.  I  found  my  table  covered  with 
their  cards  and  introductories,  and  they  are  most  cordially 


TO  MR.  CASS.  171 

welcome.  There  are  among  them  Professors,  Chancel- 
lors, Bishops  and  Clergymen  mns  nombre. 

The  Niagara  goes  to  Portsmouth  to-day,  to  be  so  altered, 
as  I  understand,  as  may  tit  her  for  receiving  the  subma- 
rine cable.  She  will  be  put  in  one  of  the  Royal  Docks 
for  the  purpose.  I  am  asked  to  give  my  official  assent  to 
this  proceeding: — but,  although  M'illing  to  aid  the  great 
object  in  every  possible  way,  I  do  not  feel  empowered, 
and  must  leave  the  matter  in  the  sound  discretion  of  Cap- 
tain Hudson.  The  Susquehanna  also  is  in  the  Thames. 
Captain  Sands  and  his  first  lieutenant  were  with  me  yes- 
terday. You  will  have  noticed  that,  as  a  little  lucky  acci- 
dent would  have  it,  they  were  first  in  saluting  the  Kussian 
Grand  Duke  Constantine  as  he  entered  the  British  waters 
on  board  of  a  royal  yacht  from  France,  on  his  way  to  the 
Queen  at  Osborne.  You  would  be  amused  to  see  how 
this  casual  and  light  incident  is  remarked  upon. 

The  French  elections  come  off  on  the  20th  instant,  and 
inspire  some  interest: — though  why,  it  is  difficult  to  say. 
Great  care  has  been  officially  and  openly  taken  to  secure 
to  the  Imperial  government  an  immense  majority  both  of 
representatives  and  votes.  The  suffrages  are  expected  to 
exceed  nine  millions. 

I  enclose  some  papers  which  the  Greek  minister  has 
put  into  my  hands  as  explanatory  of  his  great  desire  that 
something  may  be  done  in  respect  to  the  matter  I  have 

heretofore   written   about.     He    says   that  Mr.   is 

really  not  entitled  to  act  as  consular  representative,  and 
that  his  informal  authorization  from  Mr.  DiomatarLhas 
expired  many  years  ago;  that  as  a  missionary  he  is  con- 
stant]}' provoking  the  public  mind  hj  proselyting — a  course 
prohibited  by  the  Constitution  of  Greece.  Can  you  em- 
power me  to  say  a  word  to  him  ?  or  is  it  necessary  that 
the  subject  should  assume  greater  formality? 

I  have  nothing  worthy  of  a  regular  despatch,  and  can- 
not have  the  means  of  enlivening  you  until  some  move- 
ment in  the  political  atmosphere  disturbs  the  existing 
serenity  and  dulness. 

It  is  supposed  that  Parliament,  which  reassembled  last 
evening,  may  continue  in  session  till  August  and  yet  their 
proceedings  be  quite  devoid  of  general  interest. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


172  TO  MR.  HUTCHINSON. 


No.  123.-T0  ME.  HUTCHINSON". 

London,  June  12,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  yours  of  the  26th  of  May,  cover- 
ing the  letter  from  the  Library  Company  to  Mr.  Wood- 
croft,  and  have  immediately  forwarded  the  latter.  It 
gives  me  great  pleasure  to  perceive  that  the  Directors 
justly  appreciate  the  value  of  the  Patent  Publications,  and 
have  complied  with  the  engagement  as  to  binding  them. 

I  have  come  across,  in  the  possession  of  a  fashionable 
widow,  a  Frenchwoman  who  married  an  Englishman, 
a  painting  which  I  wished  were  in  one  of  the  rooms  of 
the  Library.  It  is  an  admirable  portrait  of  Franklin, 
when  our  minister  in  Paris,  by  a  great  contemporary 
artist  ranking  now  as  one  of  the  masters,  Greaze.  He  is 
taken  in  his  morning  wrapper  of  green  velvet  with  fur 
collar.  The  widow  has  repeatedly  and  significantly  called 
my  attention  to  it  as  an  object  of  historical  art  which 
ought  to  be  in  America.  But  I  remain  stupid  to  the  hint, 
as  it  would  be  beyond  my  dilettanti  zeal  to  encourage  re- 
publicans to  give  a  thousand  guineas  for  a  Greuze. 

When  you  tell  me  that  beef  in  the  Philadelphia  market 
is  from  20  to  25  cents  a  pound,  you  describe  a  condition 
worse  even  than  the  one  existing  in  this  overcrowded  and 
extravagant  capital  of  carnivorous  gourmands.  You  can 
get  the  choice  pieces,  from  the  butchers'  stalls  here,  the 
tenderloin  at  9  pence  the  pound,  the  ribs  at  8  pence  half- 
penny. Our  victuallers  are  making  too  high  a  profit  on 
their  business :  but  we  are  fond  of  good  eating  and  seem 
willing  to  pay  for  it  at  any  exalted  rate.  Some  scheme 
should  be  adopted,  of  setting  off  one  meat  against  another; 
of  bringing  beef  down  to  reason  by  eating  mutton  alone 
for  awhile,  or  by  resorting  to  lish  and  fowl.  As  long  as 
everybody  covets  beef,  and  permits  the  audacious  butcher 
to  run  the  price  up-hill,  we  shall  have  shillings  instead  of 
sixpences  for  mouthfuls. 

Politics  are  just  now  serene  and  quiet.  Louis  Napo- 
leon waves  a  more  powerful  wand  over  all  Europe  than 
his  uncle  did,  and  has  a  better  right  than  Nicholas  to  an- 
nounce that  Order  reigns,  not  merely  in  Warsaw,  but 
throughout  the  monarchies.     Austria  has  an  aspect  of 


TO  MR.  CASS.  173 

liberalism: — Prussia  lets  go  of  Neufchatel : — Russia, 
France,  and  England  (perhaps  the  U.  S.  too  ?)  are  creep- 
ing silently  after  the  eggs  of  the  Shanghais:  and  the  only- 
ripple  to  be  discerned  on  the  surface  is  in  a  pretty  little 
flare-up  against  priestly  encroachment  and  practices  in  the 
domestic  legislation  of  diminutive  Belgium.  Can't  we 
break  the  universal  peace,  by  a  row  on  the  Isthmus? 
Why  not  monopolize  all  the  transits  ? 

The  weather  has  been  warm,  for  a  day  at  a  time: — but 
the  general  temperature  is  yet  too  cool  to  admit  of  the 
slightest  diminution  of  woollens.  I  suppose  you  are  swel- 
tering under  a  fierce  sun,,  or  rushing  to  the  sea-shore. 
By-the-by,  be  good  enough  not  again  to  be  tempted  to  try 
the  treacherous  waves  of  inland  waters. 

We  are  all  in  good  health,  thank  Heaven,  and  hope  to 
remain  so,  even  in  spite  of  the  incessant  entertainments 
and  soirees  to  which  we  are  obliged  to  go.  Like  good- 
natured  eels,  we  are  growing  callous  to  this  sort  of  mar- 
tyrdom. The  "season,"  however,  will  not  last  beyond  the 
middle  of  July^ 

Present  us  all  to  your  sons  and  daughters  most  affec- 
tionately. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  124 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  June  12,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  quite  an  uncommon  serenity 
just  now  in  the  political  heavens.  Were  it  not  for  the  far- 
off  quarrel  with  China,  the  anti  priest  excitement  in  Bel- 
gium, and  the  French  elections  on  the  21st — -all  rather 
tame  subjects  —  the  quidnuncs  would  be  utterly  dumb. 
ParUament  is  coolly  discussing  domestic  topics,  the  camp 
at  Aldershott,  the  law  of  divorce,  penalties  on  fraudulent 
trustees,  improvement  of  parks,  reformatories,  etc.,  etc. 
The  ministry  appear  wonderfully  at  ease,  and  my  Lord 
Palmerston  could  yesterday  mount  a  fine  spirited  horse  at 
Windsor,  ride  to  Ascott,  in  the  Queen's  train,  stay  to  the 
races,  and  ride  back  again,  without  feeling  the  weight  of 
duties  or  years. 


174  TO  DR.  SHA  W. 

Opposite  to  all  this,  I  fear,  from  the  statements  in  the 
newspapers  just  received,  that  the  condition  of  things  with 
you  is  much  disturbed.  I  hope  a  great  deal  from  Mr. 
Walker's  ability  and  manliness  in  Kansas,  from  Harney's 
inflexible  firmness  in  Utah,  and  from  the  force  of  the 
Supreme  law  in  Ohio.  In  Granada,  you  will  probably  find 
little  further  difiiculty,  unless  indeed  the  incredible  story- 
be  true  that  England  has  got  another  Ruatan  on  the  Pa- 
cific side  of  the  transit  at  Panama.  These  really  grave 
subjects,  superadded  to  the  oppressions,  complications, 
and  bitternesses,  springing  almost  necessarily  out  of  your 
official  patronage,  must  tax  your  patience  and  philosophy 
not  a  little.     God  grant  you  a  safe  deliverance! 

Please  let  Mr.  Toucey  know  that  Captain  Hudson 
.having  apprised  me  of  his  intention  so  to  change  the 
I^iagara  as  to  fit  her  for  the  reception  of  the  submarine 
telegraphic  cable,  at  the  expense  of  the  company  and  with- 
out injury  to  the  ship,  I  applied,  at  his  request,  to  Sir 
Charles  Wood  for  an  order  that  the  work  might  be  done 
expeditiously,  safely,  and  well  by  the  operatives  in  the 
public  employ  at  Portsmouth.  Sir  Charles  telegraphed  Ad- 
miral Seymour  immediately.  The  alterations  will  proba- 
bly be  completed  in  two  weeks.  Everybody  appears  now 
sanguine  that  the  cable  will  be  on  the  bottom  of  the  At- 
lantic in  the  course  of  the  summer : — let  us  hope,  with 
the  two  ends  tight  to  Newfoundland  and  Ireland  respect- 
ively. 

The  British  Museum  has  recently  had  its  attractions 
increased  by  the  noblest  room  for  a  library  now  existing. 
It  is  an  immense  circle  lighted  from  a  lofty  and  beautiful 
dome.  Our  congressional  apartment  devoted  to  the  same 
use  is  quite  ecljpsed  by  it. 

You  see  how  dull  I  am  forced  to  be. 

W^ith  my  best  regards  to  Miss  Cass, 

I  am  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  125.-T0  DE.  SHAW. 

London,  June  27, 1857. 

My  dear  Dr.  Shaw, — Pray  excuse  my  delay  in  answer- 
ing your  note  of  the  24th  instant: — it  has  been  owing  to 
absence  from  Loudon  and  other  causes. 


TO  LORD   CAMPBELL.  175 

The  last  session  of  Congress  was  the  short  one,  that  is, 
from  December  to  March  4th.  Still,  the  general  subject 
to  which  yon  refer  was  not  entirely  neglected.  Two  hand- 
some and  adequate  appropriations  of  $6760  and  $25,000 
were  made : — the  first,  "  for  preparing  for  publication  the 
surveys  of  the  late  expedition  to  the  North  Pacific  Ocean 
and  Behring's  Straits,  and  for  finishing  the  publication 
of  the  charts  made  by  the  late  expedition  for  the  explora- 
tion and  survey  of  the  river  La  Plata  and  tributaries:" — 
and  the  second,  "to  authorize  the  Secretary  of  the  ISTavy 
to  cause  to  be  extended  and  completed  the  explora- 
tion of  the  Parana  and  the  tributaries  of  the  Paraguay 
river," 

This,  to  be  sure,  is  not  much  : — but  it  may  help  you  out 
of  a  tight  place. 

I  received  about  two  months  ago  a  ponderous  quarto 
from  the  United  States  Coast  Survey  Department: — the 
Superintendent's  Report  of  the  proceedings  during  the 
year  1855 : — it  is  an  exceedingly  elaborate  and  interesting 
expose,  aided  by  many  admirable  charts.  Have  you  got 
it?  My  only  copy  was  given  to  Dr.  Whewell  of  Cam- 
bridge, Master  of  Trinity. 

Always  most  respectfully  and  truly  yrs. 


No.  126.-T0  LOED  CAMPBELL. 

June  29,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Campbell, — I  must  beg  you  to  run  your 
eye  through  the  enclosed  letter  received  hy  me  from  the 
United  States  this  morning. 

It  will  shew  your  lordship  that  I  have  been  anxious  to 
fulfil  my  promise,  and  that  probably  the  failure  to  do  so 
must  be  ascribed  to  a  mistake  of  memory  in  both  Judge 
Rogers  and  myself.  My  correspondent  is  a  member  of 
the  Bar,  of  established  repute  for  diligent  and  accurate 
investigation. 

With  the  hio^hest  consideration,  etc. 


176  TO  JUDGE  KANE. 


No.  127.-T0  ME.  THATEE. 

London,  July  3,  1857. 

My  dear  Thayer, — You  will  see  by  the  enclosed  how 
very  much  your  letter  of  the  10th  June  has  gratified  the 
Lord  Chief  Justice  as  well  as  myself. 

Ey-the-by,  talking  of  judges: — there  is  hanging  in  the 
gallery  of  the  British  Exhibition  this  year,  a  very  large- 
sized  and  admirably  painted  portrait  of  Judge  King.  He 
is  in  full  Turkish  or  Egyptian  costume,  with  magnificent 
turban,  sabre,  shawls,  and  withal  a  fine  flowing  white 
beard  reposing  on  his  breast.  The  likeness  is  speaking : — 
and  he  ought  never  to  appear  in  any  other  dress.  It  was 
sent  over  from  Paris,  where  he  now  is,  and  where  it  was 
painted  by  Kellogg. 

Love  to  all — ever  yrs. 


No.  128.-T0  JUDGE  KANE. 

London,  July  6,  1857. 

My  dear  Judge  Kane, — The  busts  have  only  just 
reached  me,  and,  in  honest  truth,  our  recollections  are  too 
vivid  to  allow  us  to  like  them.  The  artist  has  fallen  short 
of  justice  to  his  subject.  He  has  failed  to  delineate,  as  he 
might,  the  traits  of  thought,  enterprise,  vivacity,  courage, 
and  endurance : — these  constituted  the  heroic  original.* 
For  my  own  part,  too,  I  miss  the  beard  which  was  the 
necessary  consequence  and  companion  of  his  greatest 
exploits.  Still,  we  unite  in  thanking  you  warmly  for  the 
present. 

I  sent  the  copy  intended  for  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  lo  Sir  Roderick  Murchison.  If  his  acknowledg- 
ment come  soon  enough,  it  will  accompany  this. 

With  the  best  regards  of  all  mine  to  all  yours, 

Faithfully  yrs. 

*  Dr.  E.  K.  Kane. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  177 


No.  129 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  July  17,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Observing  m  the  newspapers  that  you 
have  returned  from  your  northern  journey,  I  venture  upon 
resuming  my  private  missives. 

Recent  events  have  disturbed  the  political  serenity  on 
which  I  commented  a  month  ago.  The  rebellion  in  India, 
the  elections  in  France,  the  explosion  and  failure  of  the 
Mazziiii  scheme  at  Genoa,  and  renewed  disturbances  in 
Spain,  are  all  very  interesting  in  their  details  and  proba- 
ble consequences. 

A  grand  drama  seems  preparing  from  one  end  to  the 
other  of  Hindostan.  Every  effort  is  made  to  conceal  or 
disguise  the  fundamental  cause  of  the  disaffection.  May 
they  not  be  playing  over  again  the  game  of  lordly  red- 
coats and  paltr}^  provincials?  The  outbreak  at  Meerut 
has  been  expected  somewhere  by  intelligent  observers,  for 
several  years  back.  The  Home  government  imprudently 
repelled  warning  and  advice.  The  larded  cartridge  was 
merely  the  last  feather  on  the  camel's  back.  Proofs 
of  a  vast  preconcert,  requiring  much  time  to  mature, 
are  manifest.  The  elevation  of  a  King  at  Delhi  is  a 
measure  of  permanent  bearing.  The  simultaneous  muti- 
nies of  widely  separated  regiments  of  sepoys  cannot  be 
misunderstood. 

Passion  is  in  the  ascendant  here.  Perhaps  this  is  inevi- 
table while  their  relatives  and  friends  are  being  butchered, 
and  worse  than  butchered,  by  the  revolted  slaves.  Too 
much  force  cannot  be  sent  out  to  execute  a  prompt  ven- 
geance. I^^o  money  to  be  stinted.  No  mercy  to  be  shewn. 
The  "fanatic  natives"  are  destined  to  a  worse  fate,  by  fire 
and  sword,  than  our  blacks  undergo  after  insurrection. 
There  are  represented  to  be  about  70,000  British,  of  all 
descriptions,  military,  civil,  and  mercantile,  in  India  ;  and 
the}'  are  maintaining  the  sway  of  this  island  over  170  mil- 
lions !  The  reinforcements  in  motion  are  said  to  be  about 
25,000  men:  among  which  are  counted  the  troops  going 
out  to  China,  but  which  the  Governor-General,  Canning, 
has  intercepted  and  ordered  to  Calcutta. 

It  would  seem  that  Cavaignac  and  Carnot  have  decided 


178  TO  MR.  CASS 

on  taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  Imperial  dynasty. 
Their  constituents  insist  that  it  is  a  condition  prescribed 
by  irresistible  force,  and  if  the}^  don't  take  it  they  abandon 
their  country  to  her  fate. 

I  hope  3'ou  benefited  by  your  absence  for  a  time  from 
the  turmoil  of  Washington. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  130 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  July  19,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  a  carelessly  worded  sentence  in 
one  of  my  despatches  (No.  61,  10th  July,  1857),  which,  if 
I  had  the  power,  I  would  like  to  correct.  Fortunately  it  is 
of  no  importance,  being  a  bald  expression  of  opinion  :  but 
then  it  would  seem  to  assert  a  sentiment  of  my  own,  which 
was  not  intended.  It  relates  to  Cavaignac  and  Carnot 
taking  the  oath  of  fealty,  and  begins,  "They  should  not 
hesitate,  for  what  is  the  obligation  of  an  oath  enforced  by 
500,000  bayonets?" — Had  I  merely  used  the  words  "ii!  is 
urged  thai  they  should  not,"  then  my  exact  aim  would  have 
been  reached.  There  is  enough  strength  in  the  view  to 
puzzle  casuists: — but  I  am  not  prepared  to  adopt  it,  though 
powerfully  enforced.  Pray  don't  suppose  me  willing  to 
treat  official  swearing  lightly  for  any  purpose. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Marcy  was  announced  to  us  by  the 
steamer  which  arrived  yesterday.  The  "  inevitable  hour  " 
came  to  him  in  an  enviable  manner.  ISTo  sickness,  no  de- 
bility, no  pain,  no  disquietude.  I  presume  it  was  a  sudden 
stoppage  of  the  heart's  action.  Being  at  the  Premier's 
drawing-room  last  night,  I  observed  that  it  awakened 
about  as  much  interest  as  would  the  decease  of  any  sepoy 
in  India. 

A  fierce  struggle  getting  up  between  the  two  Houses 
of  Parliament  on  the  Jew  question.  Lord  John  Russell 
moved  a  new  bill,  giving  to  a  former  act  authorizing  oaths 
to  be  administered  to  witnesses  in  the  manner  binding  on 
their  consciences,  an  extension  to  legislative  oaths  : — and 
if  the  Lords  throw  this  out,  he  avows  his  readiness  to  call 
Baron  Rothschild  into  the  Commons,  and  to  have  him  take 


TO  MRS.  GALES.  179 

his  seat,  omitting  the  clause  "o?z  the  true  faith  of  a  Chris- 
tian." Such  a  course,  if  the  Peers  be  tirm,  must  bring  on 
a  most  unseemly  collision.  Lord  Chief  Justice  Campljell 
has  ir2iXik\y  jwejudged  it  as  a  violation  of  positive  law.  The 
truth  is,  the  movement  of  Lord  John  is  as  clearly  revolu- 
tionary as  was  the  effort  of  the  black  republicans  to  com- 
pel or  nullify  the  Senate  on  the  Kansas  question.  Mr. 
Roebuck  and  many  of  the  newspapers  denounce  the  Lords 
with  all  the  bitterness  and  contempt  used  by  the  old 
Jacobins  of  France  against  the  nobles.  If  we  examine 
symptoms  closely  I  think  we  should  come  to  a  conclu- 
sion that  the  upper  House  is  fast  losing  its  prestige, 
and  that  its  end  may  be  looked  for  as  soon  as  some  iive 
or  six  of  its  veteran  sages  are  removed  —  Lyndhurst, 
Brougham,  St.  Leonards,  Lansdowne,  Aberdeen — I  doubt 
whether  our  Senate  has  ever  had  so  little  hold  upon  popu- 
.  lar  respect.  Still,  a  fondness  for  aristocracy  and  a  subser- 
viency to  wealth  leaven  the  whole  lump  of  British  society, 
and  an  attempt  to  extinguish  or  curtail  the  legislative 
power  of  the  Peers  is  always  in  danger  of  reaction.  The 
Crown  too  shields  them  by  its  popularity.  If  George  IV". 
were  on  the  throne,  both  would  be  in  imminent  danger. 

"We  have  here  a  number  of  distinguished  Americans  : — 
among  them,  Ticknor,  Sparks  and  Sumner.  The  last  is 
quite  a  favorite  as  the  sutFering  champion  of  Abolition. 
Ticknor  and  Sparks  have  no  politics,  and  are  delightful. 
Doctors  Mutter  and  Gibson  of  Philadelphia  are  also  in 
London,  the  former  very  ill  of  the  gout.  A  rally  of 
American  sojourners  takes  place  on  the  21st  instant,  the 
day  after  to-morrow,  at  Boston  in  Lincolnshire,  to  "  assist " 
at  the  inauguration  of  a  Chapel  in  honor  of  the  Pilgrim 
father,  -John  Cotton.     I  am  bound  to  be  there. 

"We  cannot  have  farther  news  from  India  before  the 
latter  part  of  this  week. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  131 -TO  MRS.  GALES. 

London,  July  20,  1857. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Gales, — It  is  extremely  provoking  to  be 
obliged  in  frankness  to  confess  the  entire  failure  of  my 


180  TO  MR.  CASS. 

efforts   to   carry  out  your  suggestion   as  respects   Miss 
Juliana  May. 

I  reserved  an  answer  to  your  letter  in  the  hope  that,  be- 
fore the  season  finally  closed,  something  might  enable  me 
to  write  more  agreeable  prospects  : — but  the  concerts  and 
parties  at  the  Palace  are  now  over. 

I  cannot  venture  to  say  why  the  royal  attention  was  not 
attracted  to  Miss  May.  Her  Majesty  and  the  Prince  Con- 
sort justly  take  pride  in  selecting  the  most  accomplished 
and  skilful  musicians  and  songsters  for  their  concerts;  and 
Miss  May,  under  her  engagement  with  Mr.  Lumley,  had 
publicly,  though  under  some  disadvantages,  exhibited  her 
fine  vocal  powers.  The  number  of  great  '-'■  cantatrices" 
from  which  to  select,  has  no  doubt  embarrassed  choice : 
and  there  are  obviously  some  personal  friends,  like  JSTo- 
vello  and  Balfe,  with  whose  uniform  preference  no  com- 
petitor could  hope  for  success. 

I  cannot  say,  for  honestly  I  do  not  believe,  that  any 
prejudice  exists  against  a  voice  simply  because  it  is  Ameri- 
can :  high  art  is  too  much  cultivated,  too  ardently  pursued, 
too  triumphantl}'  fashionable  for  that : — nothing  so  cosmo- 
politan : — but  we  have  yet  to  achieve  for  our  country  the 
reputation  of  a  land  of  song ;  and  until  that  be  achieved, 
and  made  undeniable,  we  must  not  wonder  if  even  the 
excellence  we  know  we  possess  fails  to  be  sought  for. 

Had  I  been  able  to  accomplish  your  wish,  my  being 
accessary  to  the  happiness  of  Mrs.  May  and  her  daughter 
would  have  given  me  unalloyed  pleasure ;  and  certainly 
110  one  would  be  more  eager  than  myself  to  contribute  in 
any  degree  to  your  gratification,  or  to  that  of  Mr.  Gales, 
whom  I  can  never  regard  in  any  other  light  than  as  an 
old  friend  of  my  father's  and  I  hope  of  mine. 

Always  most  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  132.-T0ME.  OASS. 

London,  July  24,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  has  struck  me  to  be  expedient  to  send 
you  the  accompanying  copies  oi private  letters  on  the  sub- 
ject of  handsomely  inaugurating  the  wire  which  is  to  run 
under  the  Atlantic  from  Valeutia  to  St.  Johns. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  181 

I  hope  the  President  will  approve  my  giving  the  note 
of  preparation  to  Lord  Clarendon.  It  was  marked  "pri- 
vate "  because  there  is  not  absolute  certainty  that  the  en- 
terprise may  not  be  balked  by  one  of  the  thousand  acci- 
dents that  are  possible,  and  so  the  two  governments  be 
made  to  appear  too  confident. 

One  can  scarcely  yet  credit  the  realization  of  this  most 
vast,  yet  most  delicate,  conquest  of  science  and  machinery. 
The  tirst  spark  that  goes  from  Buckingham  Palace  to  the 
White  House  will,  like  mercy,  be  twice  blessed,  securing 
immortality  at  once  to  giver  and  receiver,  in  more  durable 
records  than  those  of  politics. 

Mr.  HuiFnagle,  our  consul-general  for  British  India,  is 
now  here.  Nothing  as  j^et  from  that  region  to  allay  the 
general  anxiety.  There  seems,  indeed,  a  prevailing  im- 
pression that  the  mutineers  at  Delhi  are  numerous,  strong 
in  arms  and  ammunition,  and  skilful  as  soldiers:  so  that 
the  siege  may  be  a  protracted  one  and  encourage  disaffec- 
tion elsewhere.  The  rumor  of  defection  in  the  army  at 
Bombay  does  not  seem  to  be  well  founded. 

The  course  of  the  three  leading  republicans  lately  elected 
in  Paris,"  Cavaignac,  Carnot,  and  Godchoux,  as  to  the  oath 
of  fealty,  seems  still  undecided.  The  constituencies  press 
the  argument  I  have  heretofore  stated,  and  the  general 
impression  is  that  it  will  prevail. 

The  facilities  and  comforts  of  locomotion  by  railways 
are  capital  aids  to  the  harmony  and  distinctive  power  of 
crowned  heads.  Continental  royalty  has  fairly  overrun 
England  lately.  Whether  thej*  come  like  shadows  and  so 
depart,  can  only  be  guessed.  We  have  had  from  Austria, 
the  Grand-duke  Maximilian  : — from  Prussia,  Prince  Wil- 
liam : — from  Spain,  the  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Montpen- 
sier: — from  Belgium,  nearly  the  whole  reigning  family: — 
from  France,  Prince  Napoleon  : — from  Holland,  the  Queen 
of  the  Netherlands  (the  Duchess  of  Van  Buren): — and. 
Louis  Napoleon  promises  a  quiet  call  at  Osborne  with  his 
empress  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight! — Jam  satis  terris  nivis 
atqae  dine  grandlnis !  When  curiosity  is  once  gratified, 
these  personages  are  rather  inconvenient  to  the  corps  di- 
plomatique, at  least  to  our  portion  of  it.  "  To  meet  her 
Majesty,"  or  "to  be  presented  to  H.  R.  H. ;" — hie  labor, 
hoc  opus  est ! 

The  toast  given  at  the  banquet  in  Boston  to  the  Presi- 


182  TO  MR.  CASS. 

dent  of  the  United  States  was  received  with  a  cheering 
altogether  vehement  and  remarkable,  by  a  company  of  at 
least  300.  It  was  prefaced  by  an  elaborately  prej^ared  and 
really  forcible  speech  from  the  historian  of  Boston  (whose 
work,  by-the-by,  is  a  magnificent  folio  volume,  got  up  with 
a  superabundance  of  elegance  in  engravings,  type,  paper, 
and  binding),  Mr.  Pishey  Thomson,  whom  we  all  knew 
as  an  admirable  bookseller  for  so  many  years  on  Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue.  The  learned  and  eloquent  Bishop  of  Lin- 
coln was  there,  and  gave  us  a  speech.  So  was  our  Bishop 
Smith  of  Kentucky,  who  did  ditto.  So  also,  Erskiue, 
Dean  of  Ripon,  son  of  the  old  first  Lord.  And  so,  too,  a 
succession  of  members  of  Parliament.  The  Mayor  pre- 
sided. Our  flag  waved  all  day  upon  the  topmost  turret  of 
the  beautiful  tower  of  St.  Botolph,  which  is  three  hundred 
feet  high. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  133 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  July  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  here  next  to  impossible  to  procure 
authentic  information  of  what  is  meditated  at  Madrid  re- 
specting Mexico.  Don  Bravo  left  London  some  months 
ago  to  meet  the  Cortes,  and  Comyn,  the  Charge,  is  either 
unable  or  unwilling  to  talk  on  matters  of  public  interest. 
The  newspaper  correspondents  only  invent  and  mislead. 
It  is  now  alleged  that  the  mediation  of  England  and  France 
has  been  accepted.  It  is,  I  think,  rather  to  be  suspected 
that  the  Spanish  movement  was  from  the  first  unreal,  and 
meant  more  to  cover  Cuba  from  apprehended  filibustering 
than  to  invade  Mexico.  At  all  events,  just  now  the  con- 
dition of  Spain  is  too  much  disturbed  and  uncertain  for  an 
important  military  expedition  to  the  other  side  of  the  At- 
lantic, which  might  furnish  us  a  plausible  ground  of  action. 
Spain  will  be  very  shy  of  doing  what  might  possibly  swell 
to  overflowing  the  popular  current  in  the  United  States. 
The  mediation  has,  in  all  likelihood,  been  part  of  the 
original  plan,  and  invited  by  her. 

A  moderated  tone  on  the  subject  of  Slavery  is  undoubt- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  183 

edly  observable  even  in  Parliament.  IIow  explainable  ? 
1.  The  pressure  of  the  truth  as  to  their  West  Indies.  2. 
The  pressure  of  the  rebellion  in  Bengal,  3.  The  pressure 
of  the  China  light.  4.  The  shake  recently  given  to  the 
Napoleonic  throne.  5.  The  annexation  of  Perim,  pro- 
tested against  by  Turkey  under  impulse  from  Fran  ce : — and 
with  all  these,  6.  The  hourly  increasing  conviction  that 
there  is  no  safety  for  the  ascendency  of  the  Liberal  Party 
except  in  honest  friendship  with  the  United  States.  It 
may  be  that  this  abatement  in  the  crusading  spirit  is  pre- 
paratory to  aiding  us  to  acquire  Cuba: — for  as  they 
despair  of  stopping  the  trade  from  Africa,  they  may  see 
reason  to  prefer  the  institution  as  it  exists  with  us  to  the 
one  on  the  Island. 

The  French  ambassador  urged  me  by  letter,  three  or 
four  days  ago,  to  obtain  for  an  Imperial  hydrographic  en- 
gineer, the  privilege  of  accompanying  Captain  Hudson 
in  the  Niagara,  during  the  voyage  for  laying  the  sub-At- 
lantic cable.  The  ship  was  on  the  eve  of  departure,  and 
I  had  no  time  to  correspond  with  her  officers.  I  sent  his 
Excellency  a  short  note  addressed  to  Captain  Hudson,  re- 
questing, if  no  orders  or  rules  were  in  the  way,  that  he 
would  invite  and  receive  the  engineer,  a  Mr.  Dehimarche, 
on  board  the  frigate.  I  hope  the  President  will  approve 
what  it  was  impossible  to  avoid  or  evade  without  extreme 
discourtesy.  The  correspondence  on  the  subject  I  have 
thought  it  proper  to  send  to  Mr,  Toucey, 

You  will  see  by  the  newspapers  that  the  Jew's  Oaths 
question  has  taken  a  more  decided  phase  than  ever.  Mr. 
Horsman,  an  able  and  influential  liberal,  has  twitted  the 
Premier,  in  language  to  which  that  functionary  is  not  ac- 
customed, on  his  duties  as  the  party  leader  : — intimating 
that  the  Earl  of  Harrowby,  Lord  Privy  Seal,  cannot  be 
permitted,  while  a  member  of  the  cabinet,  to  withhold  his 
vote  in  the  House  of  Lords  from  the  bill,  and  that  the 
whole  united  and  active  power  of  the  ministry  must  be 
given  to  the  measure,  on  penalty  of  whig  denunciation 
and  disorganization. 

Still  no  fresh  news  from  India,  though  expected  every 
hour.  In  the  House  of  Commons  last  night  Mr.  Disraeli 
made  a  very  tedious  and  elaborate  speech  on  the  causes 
of  the  disaffection  and  the  proper  course  of  government 
now  that  it  had  exploded.     A  worse  picture  of  political 


184  TO  MR.  CASS. 

administration  could  not  easily  be  painted : — far  exceed- 
ing, especially  in  its  deep  shades  of  usurpation  and  confis- 
cation, the  recapitulated  grievances  in  our  Declaration  of 
'76.  It  fell,  however,  very  flat  on  the  ear,  though  I  was 
a  patient  listener  during  the  whole  of  it,  from  5  to  8 
o'clock.  Lord  John  Russell,  who  just  now  resembles  an 
inexpert  swimmer  trying  to  buoy  himself  with  awkwardly 
entangled  bladders,  gave  Mr.  Disraeli's  motion  a  patri- 
otic direction. 

I  was  earnestly  assured,  during  the  concert  at  Apsley 
House  last  night,  by  Lord  Stanley,  whom  I  think  better 
informed  as  to  the  condition  of  the  British  colonies  than 
any  other  man  in  England,  that  the  whole  affair  was  a 
mere  military  enieute,  and  would  certainly  be  at  once  re- 
pressed. And  yet  an  Indian  Commissary-General,  Col. 
R.,  veYy  lately  returned  home,  is  anxiously  in  doubt  as  to 
the  result,  looking  to  the  fall  of  Delhi  before  the  besiegers 
as  indispensable  to  the  safety  of  the  whole  against  the 
pervading  discontent.  Oile  thing  is  quite  certain  : — that 
this  country  will  concentrate  all  its  energies  against  the 
insurrection,  first  to  put  it  down,  second  to  revenge  its 
cruelties,  and  third  to  reform  its  causes. 

Mr.  Hufi^hagle,  our  consul-general  in  the  East,  is  return- 
ing home  from  Calcutta,  wholly  unable  to  meet  the  ex- 
penses of  his  post  by  his  salarj-.  I  have  long  known  him, 
and  believe  him,  as  a  public  agent,  to  be  eminently  relia- 
ble for  intelligence  and  integrity.  At  this  interesting 
moment  of  Chinese  and  Indian  perturbation,  he  will  have 
a  fund  of  valuable  practical  knowledge  to  lay  before  you. 
That  region  of  the  earth  is  looming  up  into  so  much  im- 
portance that  I  should  think  it  wise,  rather  than  lose  the 
public  benefit  of  his  skill  and  experience,  if  he  were  per- 
mitted his  salary  unencumbered  by  his  actual  expenses. 

Those  fierce  and  endless  riots  in  JSTew  York  make  very 
disagreeable  echoes  in  the  ears  of  Americans  abroad. 
We  cannot  vindicate  or  excuse  them.  I  really  hope  they 
will  soon  die  out. 

My  latest  official  Register  is  that  of  1855 ;  and  I  often 
want  the  Army  and  Navy  Registers  for  the  cttrrent  year. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

P.  S, — Your  old  assailant,  Brougham,  in  his  80th  year, 
was  last  night  busy  among  groups  of  beauties,  chatting 
and  laughing  as  a  boy  long  after  midnight ! 


TO  MR.  J.  M.  M.  185 


No.  134 -TO  ME.  J.  M.  M. 

London,  July  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Although  extremely  indignant,  I  was 
not  sorry  to  see  the  venom  spit  at  you  by  the  Yankee  par- 
son. I  was  sure  of  the  rebound  ;  and  it  has  come  in  the 
best  possible  way  and  to  the  greatest  possible  effect: — 
subserving  not  so  much  the  individual — for  really  he 
could  not  be  harmed — as  the  cause  with  which  he  is 
identified. 

You  notice  the  progress  of  things  here?  China,  India, 
Paris,  Italy,  Spain,  Parliament?  I  .thought  the  world 
going  to  sleep  ;  when  it  suddenly,  like  a  drowsy  lion,  stood 
up  and  shook  itself  all  over.  I  am  afraid,  ho\ve\^er,  that 
the  monster  won't  keep  on  his  legs,  but  will  sink  into 
deeper  slumber  than  ever. 

Two  or  three  things  are  worth  noticing. 

There's  the  wonderful  readiness  of  the  oldest  and  ablest 
men  to  mingle,  night  after  night,  and  all  night,  in  the 
light  gaieties  of  life.  Lyndhurst  (85),  Brougham  (80), 
Lansdowne  (77),  St.  Leonards  (76),  Palmerston  (73),  Camp- 
bell (78),  Aberdeen  (73),  Combermere  (77),  Wensleydale, 
Baron  Parke  (75),  etc.,  may  be  found  wherever  amuse- 
ment, though  it  be  in  the  form  of  mere  show,  is  to  be  had. 
So  with  the  very  ancientest  of  ladies.  The  effect  on  so- 
ciety generally  is  salutary  and  obvious.  To  be  sure,  the 
very  ^^oung  are  rather  cowed. 

There's  also  the  busy  and  widespread  eagerness  to  re- 
vive church  ornamentation.  I  have  recently  visited  a 
number  of  Cathedrals  and  Parish  Churches,  and,  being 
a  tolerably  good  Episcopalian,  have  trembled  to  notice 
the  immense  backsliding  to  Romanism  in  the  crosses, 
altars,  painted  windows,  symbols,  mottoes,  sedilias,  pisci- 
nas, etc.  They  look  more  like  niches  in  the  vast  St.  Pe- 
ter's, or  even  chapels  in  the  Greek  Kazan.  A  fierce  con- 
troversy, to  be  sure,  is  waging  on  the  subject:  the  news- 
papers and  periodicals  are  full  of  it.  I  went  into  Wilt- 
shire, and  saw  a  church  on  which  Mr.  Sydney  Herbert, 
the  M.  P.,  had  spent  a  fortune:  it  had  754  pillars,  big  and 
little,  no  two  alike !  I  went,  in  the  opposite  direction,  to 
Lincolnshire,  and  there  saw  another  on  "which  its  wealthy 

YOL.  I. — 13 


186  TO  MR.  CASS. 

rector,  called  Barridge,  was  in  progress  of  lavishing  his 
money,  making  it,  to  my  eye,  a  glittering  temple  for 
Catholicism  rather  than  a  house  appropriate  to  Protestant 
worship.  The  religious  archaeologists  are  raking  up  and 
restoring,  under  one  pretence  or  another,  all  the  Roman 
abominations  denounced  by  the  Reformation. 

Confound  it: — I  am  in  a  garrulous  vein,  and  here  sud- 
denly comes  the  necessity  of  a  despatch  ! 

Ever  yrs. 


No.  135 -TO  LORD  CLARENDON. 

London,  July  29,  1857. 

My  dear  Lord  Clarendon, — Definitive  information 
may  I  think  be  expected  as  to  the  prospects  of  the  sub- 
Atlantic  cable  in  about  two  weeks  from  Monday  next, 
the  3d  August.  In  the  mean  while,  I  am  promised  a  tele- 
graphic despatch  from  the  Niagara  when  she  will  have 
successfully  laid  three  hundred  miles  of  the  wire: — and 
this  shall  be  sent  to  you  as  soon  as  received. 

The  message  from  her  Majesty  it  would  seem  prudent 
to  have  in  readiness  for  transmission  by  the  10th  of  Au- 
gust; and  I  would  respectfully  suggest  that  it  should  be 
placed  in  a  seo.led  envelope  addressed  to  the  President,  to 
be  opened  only  upon  the  instant  the  communication  be- 
tween Valentia  and  St.  John's  is  certain.  The  envelope, 
in  a  letter  containing  this  instruction,  should,  I  am  in- 
formed by  Mr.  Cyrus  W .  Field,  be  forwarded  to  "  George 
Saward,  Esq. — Secretary  of  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Com- 
pany, Valentia,  Ireland." 

With  sentiments  of  the  highest  respect, 

I  am  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  136.-TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  July  81,  1857. 

AiY  DEAR  Sir, — The  news  from  India,  which  reached 
here  the  day  before  yesterday,  has  augmented  alarm  and 
affected  the  funds.     Delhi  holds  out,  with  a  force  of  30,000 


TO  MR.  CASS.  187 

mutineers,  against  General  Barnard  ;  and  sorties,  thoiio;li 
not  successful  ones,  are  made  frequently  and  with  spirit. 
It  is  admitted  that  all  Bengal  is  disaffected.  The  "plot" 
was  on  the  eve  of  exploding  at  Calcutta,  and  was  only 
stayed  by  a  sudden  disarming.  The  King  of  Oude  has 
been  arrested  and  imprisoned.  A  large  body  of  revolted 
sepoys  are  encamped,  and  yet,  it  would  seem,  unattacked 
outside  of  the  walls  of  Delhi.  The  loyal  profession  so 
much  magnified  and  relied  upon  by  the  native  troops,  was 
ardently  repeated  by  a  regiment  which  on  the  next  day 
massacred  all  its  officers  and  dispersed.  Christian  mis- 
sionaries are  being  mercilessly  slain.  Madras  and  Bom- 
bay, though  agitated  and  anxious,  have  yet  witnessed  no 
overt  acts.  These  are  the  leading  traits  of  the  telegraphed 
news.  When  we  get  the  details,  by  the  correspondence 
on  its  way  here,  it  is  supposed  the  picture  will  be  much 
more  gloomy. 

Troops  are  forwarding  as  fast  as  they  can  be  got  ready. 
Large  inducements  are  offered  to  those  whose  terms  of 
service  have  expired,  to  re-enlist.  Some  intimations  are 
given  of  French  assistance : — but  there  is  an  instinctive 
jealousy  of  that.  It  may,  however,  be  confidently  expected 
that  for  two  or  three  years  to  come,  England  will  think  of 
nothing  but  India.  Even  if  she  puts  a  prompt  close  to 
the  present  insurrection,  she  will  have  to  increase  her  Eu- 
ropean forces  there  immensely,  and  inaugurate  an  entirely 
new  system  of  government.  She  has,  for  more  than  a 
century,  been  arrogant,  cruel,  rapacious,  intolerant,  and 
mercenary,  and  yet  she  expresses  surprise  at  the  rebel- 
lion! — thinks  she  has  nursed  the  Hindoos  into  civilization 
as  an  affectionate  "mother"  would  train  her  children  !  and 
now  finds  in  the  monstrous  ingratitude  she  meets  a  justi- 
fication for  dooming  the  race  to  a  dreadful  retribution. 
Barre's  portrait  of  her  parentage  to  us  is  no  doubt  true 
in  application  to  her  colonies  in  general.  She  is  the 
reverse  of  Rome. 

I  have  heretofore  referred  to  the  question  of  the  Moldo- 
Wallachian  Principalities  as  one  calculated  in  its  progress 
to  disturb  existing  combinations.  You  perceive  that  it 
is  now  working.  France,  Russia,  Prussia,  and  Sardinia 
are  on  one  side:  England,  Austria,  and  Turkey  on  the 
other.  Their  representatives  have  reached  the  point  of 
angry  rupture. 


188  TO  MR.  CASS. 

You  have  probably  had  your  mhul  recalled  to  the  ques- 
tion of  the  Right  of  Search  by  the  case  of  the  Panchita. 
Does  not  that  case,  and  the  actual  position  of  this  govern- 
ment present  a  most  favorable  conjuncture  for  quietly 
putting  an  end  to  that  pretension  ? 

Pray  sa3'to  the  President  that  the  Queen  of  the  Nether- 
lands specially  enjoined  it  upon  me  to  express  her  pleasure 
at  hearing  of  his  complete  restoration  to  health,  and  to  say 
that  she  remembered  with  much  gratification  his  visit  to 
Holland,  where  he  had  left  many  agreeable  recollections. 
Her  Majesty  speaks  English  like  a  book. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  every  eftbrt  will  be  made  to 
break  up  the  refuge  which  the  unhappy  continental  demo- 
crats find  in  this  countrj'.  Sovereigns  are,  for  this  pur- 
pose, in  their  turn  "conspiring."  The  failure  at  Genoa, 
and  the  implication  by  arrested  men  in  Paris  of  Mazzini 
and  Ledru  KoUin  in  a  design  to  assassinate  Louis  Napoleon, 
furnish  the  pretext.  The  Press  here  will  resist  gallantly: 
— but  it  will  not  surprise  me  if,  as  one  of  the  possible  re- 
sults of  the  actual  predicament  of  England,  the  visit  of 
the  Emperor  to  Osborne  on  the  5th  proximo  were  to  be 
followed  by  some  harsh  measure  against  aliens. 

To-day,  it  is  thought,  will  realize  the  recent  giving  out 
of  Lord  John  Russell,  and  see  Baron  Rothschild  sworn 
in  by  resolution  in  such  form  as  he  may  deem  obligatory 
upon  his  conscience.  Such  a  course  promises  to  be  the 
initiation  of  a  protracted  contest. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  137.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  August  4,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  Lafragua,  the  Mexican  minister  in 
Madrid,  is  reported  as  gone  to  Paris,  but  it  is  believed  in 
order  to  facilitate  the  accepted  mediation  of  England  and 
France.     Were  anything  serious  and  critical  impending, 

Mr.  would  not  keep  it  from  me.     As  it  is,  nobody 

anticipates  a  belligerent  course  from  Spain.  There  is, 
however,  great  difficulty  in  getting  at  the  truth. 

The  recognition  of  the  free  navigation  of  the  Danube, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  189 

and  the  extiiignisliment  of  the  Sound  Dues,  have  very 
naturall}' brought  into  question  another  kindred  matter, — 
the  tax  levied  by  that  great  potentate  the  King  of  Hano- 
ver upon  commerce  on  the  Elbe.  Goods  crossing  a  line 
running  from  the  mouth  of  the  Schwinge,  a  small  Hano- 
verian river,  nearly  due  east  across  the  Elbe  to  the  opposite 
Holstein  shore,  are  subjected  to  a  toll  ranging  from  f  to 
I  and  I  per  cent,  ad  valorem.  The  exaction  is  enforced 
even  though  the  vessels  are  merely  passing  up  the  river, 
and  do  not  stop  in  the  Hanoverian  sovereignty,  which  does 
nothing  to  preserve  or  improve  the  channel.  Is  it  not 
worth  while  inquiring  how  far  our  trade  is  aifected  ? — 
perhaps  it  has  been  done  already — and  whether  it  be 
worthwhile  to  make  the  stand  against  the  "Brunshausen 
Toll,"  which  you  took  the  lead  in  making  against  the 
Sound  Dues  ? 

I  send  you  a  fat  parliamentary  volume  in  the  nature  of 
a  Blue  Book.  Lord  Clarendon  was  kind  enough  to  let  me 
have  two  copies : — one  will  adorn  the  library  of  your  de- 
partment, the  other  that  of  this  legation  The  contents 
are  valuable  and  interesting. 

The  contest  about  the  Jew's  Oath  waxes  warm.  Lord 
John  Russell  has  again  shifted  his  ground,  and  now  relies 
upon  the  general  language  of  a  forgotten  and  disinterred 
statute  of  William  IV.  He  has  got  the  Attorney-General, 
Sir  Richard  Bethell,  to  agree  with  him  in  its  interpreta- 
tion, and  so  may  find  his  position  strong  notwithstanding 
the  clear  and  powerful  dissent  of  Sir  Frederick  Thesiger, 
certainly  one  of  the  ablest,  if  not  the  very  ablest,  lawyer 
in  the  House.  A  committee  to  construe  the  Act,  to  con- 
sult, and  report,  will  probably  be  appointed  this  evening. 
Lord  Palmerston  reserves  himself  for  their  interpretation 

The  details  of  the  news  from  India  are  frightful : — but 
they  do  not  attest  that  disaffection  among  the  people  out 
of  the  ranks  of  the  army  without  which  the  militar}'  mu- 
tiny must  soon  fizzle  out.  Delhi  hfts  probably  succumbed 
to  the  army  of  General  Barnard,  say  about  12,000  to  13,000, 
though  we  have  no  authentic  account  of  the  fact.  The 
zeal  here  i^  unabated : — their  empire  in  the  East  must  be 
saved  at  every  cost:  the  sentiment  is  common  to  all 
shades  of  party. 

Do  you  notice  the  peremptory  violence  of  the  French 
minister  at  Constantinople  on  the  Danubian  Principalities 


19C  TO  MR.  CAS3. 

question?  A  la  Menschikofhe  threatened  to  quit,  and  the 
frightened  Turk  changed  his  cabinet  to  prevent  his  de- 
parture. How  Lord  Stratford  will  stomach  this  remains 
to  be  seen.  This  political  arrangement  of  the  Treaty  of 
Paris  always  struck  me  as  having  in  it  the  seeds  of  great 
controversy. 

The  Queen,  in  person,  will  probably  prorogue  Parlia- 
ment about  the  23d  instant,  and  proceed  the  next  day  to 
Balmoral.  Everybody  that  can  will  imitate  her  example 
in  hastening  out  of  London.  I  propose,  after  having  en- 
dured city  confinement  continuously  for  16  months,  to  give 
my  family  a  swallow  of  sea  air,  on  the  eastern  point  of  the 
Isle  of  Wight.  The  heat  has  been  trying  for  a  week  past, 
the  mercury  sometimes  at  90°. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  138.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  August  7,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — At  Lord  Palmerston's,  the  night  before 
last,  I  had  a  short  dialogue  with  Mr.  Comyn,  the  Spanish 
Charge. 

D.  I  notice  in  the  Post  that  your  Chef  is  coming  back. 
When  will  he  be  here  ? 

C.  He  intends  returning,  but  has  not  yet  left  Madrid. 

D.  He  will  probably  be  able  to  tell  us  how  your  contro- 
versy with  Mexico  gets  on. 

C.  Oh  !  for  the  present,  and  perhaps  finally  that  is  dis- 
posed of.  We  have  accepted  the  mediation  of  France  and 
England.  But,  Mexico  is  impracticable;  and  it  is  diffi- 
cult to  say  how  we  are  to  get  a  guaranty  that  she  will  not 
repeat  her  barbarities. 

D.  Her  domestic  politics  are  very  much  distracted,  and 
her  government  took  no  part  in  the  injuries  of  which  you 
complain. 

C.  May  be  so. 

1).  And,  after  all,  an  attack  from  you  might  do  her  an 
essential  good.  You  would  rouse  her  to  union  and  ac- 
tion : — as  to  reconquering  her,  that,  of  course,  you  know  is 
an  impossibility.     Where  is  Mr.  Lafragua? 

C.  I  believe  at,  or  on  his  way  to,  Paris. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  191 

The  French  sovereigns  arrived  at  Osborne  yesterday 
morning.  Prodigious  pains  are  taken  by  military,  naval, 
and  police  to  secure  their  personal  safety.  Nothing  was 
allowed,  on  the  water,  to  approach  within  two  miles  of 
them.  A  body  of  Parisian  detectives  forms  a  cordon 
round  them  at  a  distance.  And  yet  the  eagerness  of  his 
Majesty  to  greet  Prince  Albert,  when  near  the  landing, 
led  to  his  stumbling  down  the  paddle-wheel  and  falling 
heavily  on  the  deck,  thereby,  as  it  is  said,  "grazing  his 
face  and  shaking  himself  considerably."  Mazzini  should 
provide  a  Roman  augur  to  make  the  most  of  the  Omen  ! 

Parliament  will  remain  in  session  some  two  weeks 
longer.  A  general  desire  prevails  to  hear  something 
definitive  from  India  before  adjournment:  —  and  the 
grouse  can  wait  a  fortnight. 

Lord  Carlisle  fastened  the  European  end  of  the  sub- 
Atlantic  telegraph  wire  to  its  place  at  Valentia  yesterday 
morning,  and  away  westward  steamed  the  little  squadron! 
I  am  hourly  expecting  a  message  from  Mr.  Field,  who  is 
on  board  the  Niagara,  and  who  promised  one  when  the 
expedition  has  prosperously  got  500  miles  forward. 

I  send  you  the  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  received  j'ester- 
da}'  from  a  leading  commercial  house  here,  one  of  whose 
partners,  Mr.  G.  Moffatt,  is  a  member  of  Parliament.  It 
complains  of  what  it  calls  "an  anomaly"  in  our  recent  re- 
duction of  the  tariff,  passed  March  3d,  1857.  Tea  was  a 
non-enumerated  article  in  the  schedules  of  the  tariff  of  '46, 
and  therefore  by  a  special  clause  made  subject  to  a  duty 
of  20  percent.,  ^'■when  imported  direct  from  the  place  of  its 
groiDth  or  production  in  American  vessels,  or  in  foreign  vessels 
entitled  by  reciprocal  treaties  to  be  exempt  from  discriminating 
duties,  tonnage,  and  other  charges.''  The  object  of  the  dis- 
crimination is  obvious:  and  yet,  perhaps,  while  the  Chi- 
nese market  is  affected  by  political  difficulties,  we  should 
find  benefit  in  suspending  its  operation.  "What  thinks  the 
President,  or  Mr.  Cobb? 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


192  TO  MR.  EVERETT. 


No.  139.-TO  MR.  SAWAED. 


LoKDON,  August  9,  1857. 

Dear  Sir, — I  enclose  a  sealed  letter  addressed  to  you 
from  "  Osborne,"  and  must  beg  you  to  apprise  me  of  its 
having  reached  you  safely. 

Trusting  confidently  in  the  success  of  your  great  enter- 
prise, notwithstanding  the  croaking  prophecies  of  failure, 

I  am  very  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  140,-TO  ME.  EVEEETT. 

London,  August  11,  1857. 

My  dear  Mr.  Everett, — Your  volume  of  Cushing's 
Lex  Parliamentaria  Americana  for  Speaker  Denison  has 
reached  me  just  as  I  was  preparing  the  despatch  bag  for 
to-morrow  by  the  steamer  City  of  Baltimore.  I  will  take 
care  that  it  gets  to  him  immediately. 

Your  letter  accompanying  this  book  evinces  an  appre- 
hension that  I  may  be  overwhelmed  with  letters  of  intro- 
duction. Pray  dismiss  it.  My  countrj^men  come  over  in 
shoals,  and  are  all  heartily  welcome,  especially  those  who 
bring  me  a  line  from  esteemed  friends.  I  can  be  of  little 
service  to  any  of  them,  farther  than  to  receive  them 
frankly,  and  give  advice  if  need  be  or  an  occasional  official 
facility.  As  a  general  rule,  they  appreciate  the  matter 
correctly  :  if  some  do  not,  they  might  as  well. 

Rest  assured,  my  dear  sir,  that  a  note  from  you  always 
gives  me  pride  and  pleasure.  I  am  quite  sure  of  my 
visitor,  and  feel  entirely  at  ease,  if  so  vouched. 

You  see  what  was  done  at  mother  Boston,  for  the  re- 
habilitation of  old  John  Cotton.  The  Church  is  a  noble 
one.  The  new  Chapel  small  but  neat,  and  admirably  set 
olf  by  your  tablet. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


1 


TO  MR.  CASS.  193 


No.  141.-T0  ME.  OASS. 


London,  August  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir  — The  arrival  of  Gov.  Wrio;lit  in  the 
steamer  Atlantic  took  me  by  surprise.  Mr.  Vroom  has 
left  Berlin,  and  will  reach  Paris  to-morrow  or  the  next 
day.  He  proposes  to  embark  for  the  United  States  on 
board  the  Arago  which  leaves  Southampton  on  the  26tb 
instant.  Gov.  Wright,  who  has  been  with  me  all  the 
morning,  is  worried  at  not  having  got  to  his  post  before 
his  predecessor  quitted  it,  as  he  very  naturally  hoped  to  get 
the  benefit  of  his  local  knowledge  on  modes  and  means  of 
life.     Hence  he  hastens  across  the  channeL 

You  observe  that  Lord  John  Russell's  Committee  on 
the  Statute  of  William  IV.,  after  complying  with  the  de- 
cencies of  consultation  for  two  or  three  days,  put  a  nega- 
tive upon  the  hoped-for  construction  which  would  apply 
the  words  ^'^  body  corporate  and  -politic"  to  the  House  of  Com- 
mons, and  Baron  Rothschild  is  again  put  off'.  This  failure 
of  Lord  John  will,  I  think,  strengthen  the  position  of  the 
House  of  Lords,  and,  with  the  help  of  the  Church,  set  the 
current  against  the  Jews. 

Louis  Napoleon  managed  matters  on  his  recent  visit 
with  singular  adroitness.  He  has  obviously  carried  his 
present,  if  not  his  ultimate,  point  as  regards  the  Princi- 
palities, and  induced  Lord  Palmerston  to  confess  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  with  some  disingenuous  distinctions, 
a  change  or  surrender  of  policy.  The  truth,  however,  is 
that  India,  and  India  alone,  is  the  predominating  and  con- 
trolling thought; — nor  should  I  wonder  if  the  offer  of  a 
regiment  or  two  of  Zouaves  had  proved  more  attractive 
than  the  mere  abstract  theory  of  bolstering  the  independ- 
ence of  Turkey  by  keeping  Moldavia  and  Wallachia  di- 
vided.    Nous  verrons. 

You  know  how  impossible  it  is  for  an  Englishman  to 
understand  and  apply  the  limited  nature  of  our  federal 
constitution  and  system.  They  all  hope  and  believe  here 
that  you  are  about  to  extirpate  the  Mormons,  and  rejoice 
as  much  at  the  prospective  overthrow  of  that  fanaticism, 
as  at  the  cherished  expectation  of  the  triumph  of  another 
in  1860.  Perhaps  (according  to  a  favorite  form  of  speech) 
you  may  not  gratify  them  on  either  point. 


194  TO  MR.  CASS. 

One  of  the  Parisian  correspondents  of  a  daily  journal 
here  invents  the  idea  that  Mexico  has  taken  the  stud  at 
Spain's  backwardness  to  accept  her  proffered  hand,  and 
has  instructed  Lafragua  to  make  not  a  step  farther  in  con- 
ciliation. If  Mr.  Corayn  spoke  truth  to  me,  and  I  cannot 
doubt  it,  the  mediating  powers,  having  got  the  matter  in 
charge,  will  soon  end  it. 

I  am  sending  my  family  for  a  short  period  to  the  Isle  of 
"Wight : — a  distance  which  I  can  conveniently  run  over  on 
the  railway  in  four  or  five  hours. 

The  ministerial  white-bait  dinner,  precursive  of  parlia- 
mentary prorogation,  has  been  announced  for  the  19th 
instant. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  142.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  August  18,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  failure  as  regards  the  electric  cable 
is  a  sad  affair.  It  would  not  appear  to  be  relieved  by  any 
promising  or  remediable  symptom.  The  sudden  rising 
of  the  ship,  in  obedience  to  the  swell,  must  necessarily 
test  the  strength  of  the  wire,  and  may  be  more  or  less 
violent: — a  rise  which  does  not  jerk  might  be  harmless 
notwithstanding  the  weight  already  immersed :  but  even 
a  momentary  pause  in  paying  out  would  risk  a  snap. 
However,  a  great  result  is  rarely  achieved  by  a  first  experi- 
ment, and  we  have  many  reasons  for  confidence  in  the 
power  of  mechanism  scientifically  directed. 

The  Niagara  and  Susquehanna  went  into  Plymouth. 
They  will  probably  remain  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic 
until  their  officers  have  had  opportunity  to  consult  with 
their  associates  in  the  enterprise,  and  the  prospects  of  the 
future  as  well  as  the  facts  of  the  past  are  capable  of  being 
embodied  in  a  report, 

Mr.  P.  reached  here  on  the  14th  instant,  and  has  brought 
me  letters  from  yourself  and  Governor  Wise.  I  have  not 
yet  had  the  pleasure  to  see  him,  and,  of  course,  do  not 
know  the  aim  of  his  mission  except  very  generally.  The 
American  demand  for  English  capital  is  increasing  and 


TO  MRS.  BACHE.  195 

almost  unlimited: — but  I  should  hope  that  the  timidity  of 
money-lenders  would  subside  in  sight  of  such  security  as 
the  State  of  Virginia  can  exhibit.  The  letter  printed  by 
Governor  Wise  a  short  time  ago,  and  of  which  he  was 
kind  enough  to  send  me  a  copy,  put  the  resources  of  the 
Ancient  Dominion  in  a  striking  light.  All  our  States,  how- 
ever, are  still  suifering,  more  or  less,  the  disrepute  in- 
flicted by  the  caustic  and  undiscriminating  pen  of  Sydney 
Smith. 

Parliament  will  close  with  this  week,  and  the  world  of 
official  business  and  of  fashionable  toil  will  immediately 
disperse  to  the  four  quarters,  not  to  be  reassembled  before 
late  in  February,  unless  the  Indian  rebellion  assume  a 
size — digims  vindice  nodus. 

I  have  recently  obtained  for  our  worthy  historical  com- 
piler, Dr.  Jared  Sparks,  the  permission  of  Lord  Clarendon 
to  rummage  through  and  extract  from  the  diplomatic  corre- 
spondence in  the  State  Paper  Office  carried  on  daring  our 
revolutionary  struggle,  between  the  ministry  here  and 
their  representatives  in  Spain  and  Holland.  He  goes  to 
the  Hague,  too,  to  see  if  Mr.  Belmont  can  obtain  for  him 
there  the  like  opportunity.  He  is  a  slow,  pains-taking 
and  honest  compiler,  and,  as  we  have  a  vast  deal  of  this 
sort  of  work  to  do  before  the  foundation  of  our  national 
history  can  be  thought  fairly  and  securely  laid,  it  would 
be  a  wise  measure  in  Congress  to  authorize  his  permanent 
engagement  for  the  purpose. 

I  hope  your  eyes  are  less  enfeebled  by  use  than  mine : — ^ 
if  not,  I  am  afraid  that  you  must  regard  the  deciphering 
of  my  cramped  handwriting  as  rather  more  troublesome 
than  satisfactory. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


•  No.  143 -TO  MKS.  BAOHE. 

BoKCHURCH,  Isle  of  Wight,  August  18,  1857. 

My  dear  Sister, — We  have  got  ourselves  temporarily 
ensconced  at  one  of  the  most  picturesque  points  of  this 
beautifal  island.  Facing  south,  we  have  immediately  be- 
low us  a  hidden  cluster  of  houses : — beyond  these  a  lower 


196  TO  MRS.  BACHE. 

clifF,  witli  a  precipitous  fall  of  some  three  hundred  feet, 
and  then,  all  open  to  the  eye,  the  wide  sea  rolling  or  glit' 
tering  to  the  Bay  of  Biscay  or  the  coast  of  Spain.  Just 
in  our  rear  frowns  the  first  of  a  succession  of  cliff's  north, 
on  whose  side  we  have  ventured  to  clamber  a  little,  but 
whose  top  has  thus  far  proved  inaccessible  to  us.  Our 
cottage  rests,  amid  trees  and  flowers,  on  one  of  the  plat- 
forms, as  it  were,  of  this  mountainous  stairway  called  the 
underclift': — we  have  no  neighboring  houses  in  sight,  except 
the  belfry  and  cross  of  an  old  chapel  far  below  us,  although 
elegant  villas  are  numerous  all  about  and  their  sites  may 
be  guessed  at  by  the  curling  smoke  from  their  kitcheri 
fires.  We  are  said  to  be  in  the  village  of  Bonchurch,  to 
have  the  town  of  Ventnor  on  our  right,  to  the  west  about 
a  mile  off,  and  the  City  of  Ryde  nearly  due  north,  distant 
a  two  hours'  stage.  This  is  said,  for  unless  we  journey 
away  we  are  actually  able  to  see  only  the  ocean  at  our  feet 
or  the  broad  green  cliff  in  the  clouds. 

So  far  for  position,  to  which  my  description  necessarily 
fails  to  do  justice.  Our  home  is  what  a  man  of  fine  taste 
and  adequate  means  would  adapt  to  such  a  locale.  It  is 
the  perfection  of  a  Swiss  cottage,  in  exterior  architecture, 
and  its  interior  is  inimitabl}'  arranged  for  hall,  parlors, 
dining-room,  six  chambers,  kitchen,  servants'  apartments, 
and  so  forth.  The  furniture  is  exceedingly  neat,  and 
evervthino:  in  the  hio;hest  order  of  Eno;lish  cleanliness.  I 
have  rented  it  for  six  weeks  for  forty-two  guineas,  say 
$220.  The  principal  incidental  expense  of  this  delightful 
rustication  is  that  of  moving  to  and  from  London  : — for, 
of  course,  my  presence  at  the  legation  must  not  be  sus- 
pended, if  there  be  the  smallest  occasion  for  it.  The  jaunt 
by  railway  to  Portsmouth,  thence  across  the  Solent  to 
Ryde,  is  three  hours : — and  to  Cliff-Den  by  coach  an  hour 
and  a  half  more. 

A  favorable  wind,  like  the  one  which  began  two  days 
ago  and  still  continues,  gives  us  the  finest  imaginable  ma- 
rine panorama.  All  the  harbors  of  Holland,  Belgitim, 
France,  and  the  eastern  front  of  England,  disgorge  their 
ships  and  steamers  for  the  western  and  southern  voyages. 
I  have  counted  as  many  as  36,  46,  and  48  vessels  in  full 
sail,  and  visible  from  the  piazza.  Sophia  and  the  girls 
have  been  enchanted  by  a  short  absence  from  the  London 
heat,  smoke,  and  dust,  to  which  they  have  clung  contin- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  197 

uoiisly  for  sixteen  months  ;  and  I  sincerely  hope  it  may 
brace  them  to  bear  another  of  those  delirious  "seasons" 
two  of  which  have  gone  roaring  by. 

While  thus  writing,  don't  think  that  I  am  forgetting 
whom  it  is  for.  The  good  accounts  latterly  received  of 
your  improving  state  induce  me  to  suppose  that  I  may 
amuse  you  and  beguile  a  few  moments  of  slow  recovery. 

We  are  just  now  expecting  a  visit  from  two  ladies  of 
Philadelphia,  Mrs.  E.  and  Mrs.  J.  And  here  in  fact  they 
are !  Mrs.  E.  says  she  has  come  on  purpose  to  be  able 
to  report  faithfully  the  character  of  our  cottage  when  she 
gets  to  the  XJ.  S.  by  the  steamer  Baltic  early  next  month. 
They  will  honor  us  for  two  days,  and  then  travel  through 
the  little  isle  on  their  way  back  to  London. 

Ever  most  alfectionately  yrs. 


No.  144.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  August  25,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — !N'o  cit}^  can  be  imagined  duller  or  more 
repulsive  than  London  during  the  hot  season  of  August 
and  September,  when  Parliament,  public  functionaries, 
club  frequenters,  the  Court,  and  fashion  have  all  sped  away 
as  if  flying  from  pestilence.  Everything  becomes  insipid, 
lauiruid,  and  listless.  The  resorts,  the  libraries,  the  gal- 
leries, the  shows,  are  shut  up.  The  great  thoroughfares 
are  thinned.  The  crowds  of  equipages  have  vanished. 
The  Squares  are  without  life  or  light,  every  house  de- 
serted, and  the  four  blocks  of  buildings  staring  vacantly 
over  the  area  with  doors  and  shutters  tightly  closed.  To 
be  sure  the  summer's  sun  treats  most  towns  in  this  way : 
— but  the  eftect  is  worst  in  London,  because  of  its  vast- 
uess,  and  because  of  its  multitudinous  swarms  at  other 
times. 

I  have  adverted  to  this  matter,  because  the  genius 
loci  seems  to  have  dried  np  the  springs  of  these  private 
letters  to  you.  I  can  hear  nothing,  see  nothing,  read 
nothing,  think  nothing,  worthy  to  be  written  to  a  Secre- 
tary of  State,  even  had  he  not  the  superadded  dignity  of 
being  on  the  other  side  of  an  ocean,  four  thousand  miles 


198  TO  MR.  CASS. 

off.  It's  a  sad  dilemma.  A  diplomat  without  a  topic ! 
An  envoy  without  food  for  a  despatch  !  and  that  too  in 
this  huge  ^^poluphloisbos  thalassa"  of  intelligence  and 
news!  One  consolation: — you  will  certainly  not  regret 
the  absence  of  what  must  be  so  vapid  and  empty. 

All  eyes,  all  hearts,  all  heads  are  lixed  on  India.  The 
accounts,  since  my  despatch  of  last  Friday,  are  gloomy  and 
heavy.  Butcheries,  savage,  indiscriminate,  and  fanatical, 
are  pouring  in.  The  climate,  too,  takes  sides  with  the 
natives.  Generals  Barnard  and  Lawrence  dead  :  all  Oude 
up:  the  circle  of  mutiny  and  murder  widening  every  hour. 
The  1500  men  intended  to  back  Lord  Elgin  in  China  have 
found  their  way  to  Delhi.  At  farthest  by  the  month  of 
November — and  they  could  not  stand  the  heats  earlier, 
there  will  be  in  Bengal  thirty-one  thousand  British  sol- 
diers:— a  force  quite  ample  to  reconquer  Hindostan,  if 
properl}^  commanded  :  and  I  must  confess  that  my  per- 
sonal intercourse  with  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  the  new  com- 
mander-in-chief, has  inspired  me  with  great  contidence  in 
his  military  capacity  and  qualities.  If  he  fail,  or  sink 
under  the  climate, — to  which  fortunately  he  is  partially 
accustomed, — the  prospect  will  be  dark. 

Suppose  the  rebellion  put  down,  as  it  may  effectually  be 
by  this  time  next  year,  then  comes  the  problem  what, 
under  the  new  circumstances,  will  be  done  with  India? 
An  indifferent  stranger  almost  shudders  to  think  what 
may  be  done.  The  population  is  so  great,  so  ignorant,  so 
superstitious,  so  vindictive,  so  cruel,  so  utterly  unprinci- 
pled, that,  with  the  zealous  counsel  of  missionaries,  no 
government  will  be  thought  capable  of  lasting  six  months 
which  is  not  preceded  by  overwhelming  strokes  of  ven- 
geance and  accompanied  by  a  system  of  inflexible  and  un- 
relenting oppression,  political,  religious,  and  social.  It 
will  require  all  the  exertion  of  all  the  ablest  writers  and 
statesnien  of  England  to  prevent  this  consummation,  so 
inconsistent  with  her  humanity,  toleration,  and  justice. 

The  accident  to  the  sub-Atlantic  electric  cable  is  by  no 
means  regrettable.  Such  a  thing  is  natural  enough  at  any 
time  and  in  any  hands: — it  is  not  discreditable.  But, 
had  it  not  happened — had  they  gone  on  depositing  at  the 
rate  they  did, — they  must  inevitably  have  developed,  "not 
a  crime,  but  something  worse,  a  blunder."  For,  only 
think,  notwithstanding  the  several  voyages,  the  soundings, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  199 

the  calculations,  the  consultations,  the  experiments, — their 
cluster  of  scientific  and  mechanical  experts  had  actually- 
provided  a  cable  five  hundred  miles  too  short !  Captain 
Hudson  tells  me  that  the  length  payed  out  exceeded  ex- 
pectation 25  per  cent.,  owing  to  depths,  currents,  etc., 
and  that  no  doubt  they  would  have  fallen  several  hun- 
dred miles  short  of  reaching  St.  John's: — one  mile  of 
which  would  have  been  just  as  fatal  as  one  thousand  ! 

A  project  of  a  Red  Sea  electric  telegraph  is  much  talked 
of: — the  India  difficulties  make  it  exceedingly  desirable; 
and  there  is  great  probability  that  the  East  India  Com- 
pany will  purchase  the  Atlantic  cable  at  its  cost,  and  apply 
it  to  their  more  urgent  purpose : — leaving  the  Atlantic 
Company  to  construct  a  new  one  by  next  spring. 

Parliament  may  be  prorogued  to-morrow  or  the  next 
day,  or  it  may  hnger  on  for  several  days.  The  Queen 
will  not  be  kept  waiting,  and  so  it  is  given  out  that  the 
prorogation  will  be  by  commission.  One  cause  of  uncer- 
tain delay  is  the  Divorce  bill,  now  gone  amended  back  to 
the  Lords :  another  is  the  expectation  of  receiving  some- 
thing decisive  from  India  by  Thursday  next,  when  parlia- 
mentary votes  of  supply  for  a  great  military  eftbrt  may  be 
required.  Lord  Panmure  said,  while  I  was  in  the  House 
of  Lords  last  night  with  Mr.  Preston,  that  they  had  out 
upwards  of  550  recruiting  parties,  and  had  enlisted  in  one^ 
week  about  1600. 

I  bade  Governor  and  Mrs.  Vroom  good-by  on  Saturday 
last.  They  were  leaving  for  Paris  and  will  join  the  Arago 
at  Havre  to-day\ 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  145 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  September  1,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — These  missives  of  mine  must  be  regarded 
with  indulgence.  I  am  quite  aware  that  they  must  often 
be  vapid  and  flat.  That  is  unavoidable  in  a  correspond- 
ence continuously  kept  up  at  brief  intervals.  It  is  impos- 
sible to  find  the  supply  of  news  always  equal  to  the  de- 


200  TO  3IR.  CASS. 

mand.  Still,  I  am  unwilling  that  you  should  be  long 
without  at  least  a  line  from  me. 

1.  Lafragua,  the  Mexican  Envoy  to  Madrid,  is  ^'■innubi- 
bus."  No  one  can  say  where  he  is,  or  what  he  is  at.  The 
last  theory  represents  him  as  having  gone  to  Cadiz,  to 
embark  for  home,  in  a  pet:  a  theory  on  which  no  reliance 
can  be  placed. 

2.  The  affair  of  the  steamer  Cagliari  is  being  exagge- 
rated by  quidnuncs  and  newspaper  scribes  into  a  ground 
of  war  between  Piedmont  and  Naples.  She  was  the  ves- 
sel seized  by  certain  of  her  Mazzinian  passengers  and 
employed  in  reaching  Sicily.  Having  been  taken  into 
custody,  the  King  declines  restoring  her  to  his  brother  of 
Sardinia: — and  so  the  seed  of  quarrel  is  fresh  planted  in 
the  soil  of  old  grudge. 

3.  Vogorides  has  had  all  his  electioneering  trouble  and 
squabbling  for  nothing.  He  is  obliged  to  repeat  the  same 
game,  as  the  Sultan  has  consented  to  cancel  the  former 
result.  The  Union  party  in  Moldavia  is  strong,  but  not 
believed  to  be  in  the  majority.  The  management  of  Vo- 
gorides tricked  and  overwhelmed  it.  Wallachia  will  prob- 
ably remain  steadfast  to  the  principle  of  Union  : — backed 
by  the  potent  influences  of  Russia  and  France.  Austria 
is  particularly  and  angrily  averse  to  the  Union,  and  tlie 

^Porte  dislikes  and  intrigues  against  it.  England  has 
cooled  in  her  zeal  about  the  matter,  under  the  shadow  of 
the  India  revolt  and  the  sunshine  of  the  Imperial  visit 
to  Osborne.  The  chances  are  not  bad  that  we  shall  wit- 
ness the  creation  of  a  new  Monarchy  and  a  new  lioyal 
Dynasty. 

4.  The  world  of  London  is  dispersed.  The  rush  abroad 
and  into  the  country  preceded  the  prorogation  and  left 
scajjcely  a  "  Corporal's  Guard"  to  do  the  ceremony.  Loco- 
motion will  soon  be  the  pastime  of  all  the  sovereigns. 
Queen  Victoria  has  gone  to  Balmoral,  taking  Ijord  Claren- 
don in  her  train.  The  Empress  Eugenie  has  had  her  Sun- 
day sport  at  bull-baiting,  and  is  off  to  Plombieres.  Louis 
Napoleon  is  whisking  from  one  town  to  another,  and,  it  is 
thought,  after  the  review  at  Chalons,  will  contrive  to  meet 
the  Czar  somewhere  in  Germany. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  201 


No.  146.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  September  14,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir,-- :I  have  availed  myself  of  a  few  days  in 
the  country  to  draft  *a  letter  to  Lord  Clarendon  on  the 
Panchita  business.  It  rather  grew  under  the  pen  as  I 
analyzed  the  papers  you  sent  me.  His  lordship  is,  how- 
ever, in  attendance  upon  her  Majesty  at  Balmoral,  and  I 
may  not  get  an  answer  these  two  months. 

Fresh  news  hourly  expected  from  India.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  old  dishes  of  insurrectionary  atrocity  are  re- 
.  hashed  and  daily  spread  in  the  newspaper  columns.  They 
certainly  are  shocking.  The  Weekli/  Press,  Mr.  Disraeli's 
special  puffer,  told  us  on  Saturday,  the  day  before  yester- 
day, of  a  suspicion  that  government  had  received  further 
accounts  so  disastrous  that  they  kept  them  back  until 
well  ventilated.    This  is  mere  party  coinage. 

The  populace  are  becoming  irreverent.  The  ministry 
are  assailed  for  absenting  themselves  on  grouse  plains, 
stalking  moors,  and  watering-places,  at  a  moment  when 
the  empire  is  shaken  to  its  foundations.  Even  the  Queen 
is  thought  to  fall  too  easily  into  the  bull-baiting  track  of 
the  Empress,  when  she  celebrates  the  massacre  of  her  sub- 
jects in  Bengal  by  festive  sports  in  Scotland. 

The  quarters  whence  men  receive  help  in  life  are  some- 
times very  hidden  and  odd.  You  perceive  that  Macaulay 
has  been  made  a  Peer.  Well,  I  ascribe  his  promotion  as 
much  to  Horace  Greeley,  of  the  ^ew  York  Tribune,  as  to 
a  real  sense  of  his  merits.  For,  you  must  know  that  just 
as  the  public  were  discussing  "a  creation  "  of  Lord  John 
Russell,  Lord  Bobert  Grosvenor,  Lord  this  and  Lordtiiat, 
out  from  o^ev  the  Atlantic  came  a  caustic  and  dogged 
article  in  a  number  of  the  Tribune  on  the  discomfiture  of 
Thackeray  as  a  candidate  for  Oxford,  and  dwelling  with 
gnashing  teeth  upon  the  indiiference  shewn  even  by  the 
liberals  to  ability  when  contending  with  family  and  title. 
It  had  no  look  towards  Macaulay  : — when  it  was  penned, 
the  great  historian  had  not  been  thought  of: — but  its  drift 
touched  a  sensitive  spot,  and,  in  true  Palmerstonian  style, 
without  a  word  said,  what  was  meant  as  a  practical  dis- 
proof brought  up  Macaulay.     "  There's  more  in  heaven 

VOL.  I. — 14 


202  TO   THE  EARL   OF  CLARENDON. 

and  earth,  Horatio,  than  is  dreamt  of  in  (even  !)  your  phi- 
losophy." 

The  two  Emperors,  of  Russia  and  France,  design  to 
meet  and  embrace  at  Stutgard  on  the  25th  or  26th  in- 
stant. Cid  bono  ? — unless  to  swear  eternal  friendship  as 
their  predecessors  did  at  Tilsit,  and  then  straightway  fall 
to  fighting,  it  is  hard  to  say.  Perhaps,  Louis  Napoleon, 
assuming  the  character  strongly  hinted  for  him  in  the 
last  Edinburgh  Hevieio,  of  the  Roman  Augustus,  being  a 
nephew  of  another  Julius,  meditates  the  golden  era  of 
universal  peace,  as  the  sequent  of  his  uncle's  everlasting 
wars.  If  India  permit,  I  think  Palmerston  or  Clarendon 
will  meet  Walewski  there.  Suppose  the  world  parcelled 
into  tranquillity  by  a  national  triumvirate  which  will  se- 
cure China  to  the  Czar,  Egypt  to  Octavius,  and  Hindostan 
to  Yernon  Smith ! 

My  theory  about  the  Spanish  menace  against  Mexico  is 
merging  into  reality.  The  dread  of  our  seizing  the  plausible 
opportunity  to  acquire  Cuba  has  put  them  into  fidgets  to 
prevent  the  quarrel.  All  over  Europe  just  now,  there  is  a 
disposition  to  regard  the  United  States  as  a  sort  of  "Jb/m 
Jones  of  the  War  Office" ! — a  belligerent  individual  to  be 
encountered  wherever  there  is  a  muss,  and  who  tannot  be 
put  down ; — when  he  looms  up  the  alarmed  gaze  at  him, 
as  Alpine  travellers  watch  the  impending  avalanche,  which 
a  single  musket-shot  may  bring  crashing  down  upon  them. 
You'll  say,  this  is  flighty  figure :  I  insist  that  four-fifths  of 
it  are  positive  matter  of  fact. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

Note. — The  note  addressed  to  Lord  Clarendon,  referred  to  in  the  first 
piirngraph  of  tlie  foregoing  letter,  was  printed  in  a  Blue  Book  furnished 
to  Parliament  six  or  eight  months  after  its  date.  It  is  extracted  from 
the  Blue  Book. 

Inclosure  1,  in  No.  580.  • 

MK.  DALLAS  TO  THE  EAEL  OF  CLAEENDON. 

Legation  of  the  United  States,  London,  ^ 
September  16,  1857.  J 

My  Lord, — It  has  been  made  my  duty  to  call  to  the  notice  of  her  Ma- 
jesty's government,  certain  proceedings  of  Commander  Fairfax  Moresby, 
of  the  Koyal  Navy,  on  the  Western  Coast  of  Africa,  in  the  early  i)art  of 
Maj'  last ;  and  to  avert,  if  possible,  any  unfavorable  influence  which  tliose 
proceedings  miglit  liave  ujmn  the  relations  of  the  two  countries,  by  invit- 
ing from  your  lordship  such  early  and  distinct  disclaimer  and  assurance 


TO    THE  EARL   OF  CLARENDON.  203 

as  may  be  esteemed  adequate.  No  doubt  is  entertained  that  the  acts  of 
Commander  Moresby  were  unauthorized ;  that,  however  ph\usibly  pur- 
sued, they  were  the  suggestions  of  his  own  discretion,  not  of  his  otBcial 
instructions,  and  that  all  danger  of  their  repetition  will  be  promptly  re- 
moved. 

The  barque  ^^Panchita,"  Frederick  B.  Sladden,  master,  owned  by  citi- 
zens of  New  York,  with  an  American  register,  and  trading  under  the 
flag  of  the  United  States,  was,  on  the  9th  of  May,  1857,  lying  at  Punta 
de  Lenha.  At  the  same  date,  in  the  river  Congo,  was  her  Majesty's 
sloop  ^^  Sappho,"  commanded  by  Commander  Moresby,  one  of  the  British 
squadron  tlaen  stationed  oif  the  African  coast  to  prevent  the  TratSc  in 
Slaves.  The  ^^Pcmchitn"  had,  in  some  manner,  awakened  suspicions  as 
to  her  objects  in  the  mind  of  Commander  Moresby,  who  (agreeably  to  his 
own  narrative)  with  "the  pinnace  and  gig"  of  his  armed  vessel,  pro- 
■fceeded  to  Punta  de  Lenha  "for  the  purpose  of  examining  her."  Meeting 
Captain  Sladden,  Commander  Moresby  "expressed"  to  him  "  a  wish  to 
muster  his  crew,"  and  "no  objection  being  made,"  went,  accompanied 
"by  Mr.  Frederick  Wells,  master  of  her  Majesty's  sloop  under  his  com- 
mand, on  board  the  ' Pa7ichiin ;'  "  mustered  the  crew;  asked,  and  was 
refused,  permission  to  look  into  the  holds ;  became  confirmed  in  his 
"opinion"  of  her  being  "engaged  in  the  illegal  TratBe  of  Slaves,"  and 
was  thus  "induced  to  inform"  Captain  Sladden,  that  he  should  "detain 
him,"  with  a  view  to  give  him  over  to  the  iirst  American  man-of-war  he 
Could  meet.  Finally,  the  "suspicions"  of  Commander  Moresbj^  being 
"by  the  vast  quantity  of  freshwater"  aboard  "still  further  corrobo- 
rated," he  took  "upon  himself  the  great  responsibility  of  sending"  the 
barque  to  New  York  "for  the  decision  of  the  United  States  authorities," 
detailing  for  that  purpose.  Lieutenant  C.  D.  J.  Odevaine,  with  a  party 
of  seamen,  and  giving  special  and  prudent  directions  for  their  conduct. 

It  may  be  added  that  the  "Panchita"  duly  arrived  at  New  York,  was 
transferred  to  the  custody  of  the  Marshal  of  the  United  Slates  for  that 
district,  and  was  libelled  in  the  proper  Court  of  Civil  and  Admiralty  ju- 
risdiction as  a  forfeiture.  The  question  whether  or  not  her  voyage  was, 
either  in  fact  or  intention,  connected  with  the  Traffic  in  Slaves  will  ulti- 
mately be  determined  in  that  still  pending  judicial  proceeding;  but  its 
decision,  one  way  or  the  other,  can  have  no  bearing  on  the  violation  of 
sovereign  right  now  brought  to  your  lordship's  attention. 

This  statement  of  Commander  Moresby's  conduct  is  made,  as  already 
intimated,  almost  exclusively  in  his  own  words:  nor  is  it  deemed  neces- 
sary to  the  design  of  the  present  communication  that  the  striking  discre- 
pancies of  detail  between  his  statement  and  that  of  Captain  Sladden 
should  be  drawn  into  relief  by  comment.  They  illustrate,  it  is  true,  the 
conflicts  to  which  a  course  of  action  like  that  of  Commander  Moresby 
necessarily  leads,  so  liable  to  exasperate  popular  sensibilities  on  either 
side,  and,  in  the  end,  to  endanger  the  friendship  and  peace  of  nations. 
But  I  am  unwilling  to  mix  with  the  public  aspect  of  the  subject  the  color- 
ing of  individual  imputation. 

The  Earl  of  Clarendon  will,  then,  perceive  that  Commander  Moresby, 
on  the  occasion  described,  impelled  by  "suspicion,"  actually  effected  a 
visitation,  search,  and  seizure  of  the  ^^Pcmc/iUa:"  that  he  knew  her  to  be 
an  American  vessel;  that,  for  predetermined  "examination,"  he  went  to 
her,  accdmpanied  by  a  show  of  force,  namely,  the  master  of  the  "  Sappho," 
and  two  boats'  crews  from  his  sloop-of-war ;  and  that,  excited  by  discov- 
ering what  he  construed  to  be  badges  of  a  criminal  employment,  he  as- 
sumed the  responsibility  of  disregarding  the  flag  she  bore,  and  of  wresting 
her  from  the  control  and  possession  of  her  American  captain. 


204  TO    THE  EARL   OF  CLARENDON. 

Against  each  leading  feature  characterizing  this  transaction — the  visit, 
the  search,  the  seizure — the  government  of  the  United  States  has  uni- 
formly, on  all  appropriate  opportunities,  for  more  than  fifty  years,  openly 
and  effectually  protested,  as  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  nations,  sanc- 
tioned by  no  Treaty,  subversive  of  the  separate  rights  and  derogatory  to 
the  honor  of  independent  communities.  It  was  not  the  exercise  of  any 
fancied  privilege  of  war,  for  profound  peace  prevailed ;  and  yet,  without 
the  pretence  of  belligerent  necessity,  in  respect  to  contraband  or  blockade, 
the  property  and  citizens  of  a  friendly  Power  were  invaded  and  ar- 
rested, and  the  protecting  presence  of  their  national  symbol  irreverently 
slighted. 

The  flag  of  the  United  States  has  a  meaning  which  should  not  be  hastily 
overlooked.  Like  that  of  Great  Britain,  or  of  any  other  civilized  coun- 
try, no  matter  how  distant  the  sea,  or  humble  the  lorcha  on  which  it 
floats,  it  implies  a  pledge  of  a  nation's  power  and  honor  to  shelter  what' 
is  beneath  it  from  invasion  or  wrong.  All  flags  are  but  hoisted  emblems 
asserting  the  national  presence  and  jurisdiction.  Commander  Moresby, 
even  while  recognizing  the  genuineness  of  the  ^^Panchita's"  flag,  failed 
to  appreciate  its  real  dignity  and  inviolability. 

The  reasons  assigned  for  this  extraordinary  proceeding  are  certainly  as 
distinctly  confessed  as  they  are  frivolous.  They  are  found  in  the  report 
of  Commander  Moresby  to  his  superior  oflicer.  Commodore  John  Adams, 
of  her  Majesty's  ship  "  Scourge,"  dated  the  15th  of  May,  1857.  They  do 
not  call  for  much  elaboration  of  analysis  or  remark. 

Commander  Moresby  "suspected,"  say,  confidently  believed,  that  the 
"  Panchita"  was  engaged  in  the  illegal  Traflic  of  Slaves. 

I  need  not  remind  your  lordship  that  since  the  United  States  led  the 
way,  by  their  Federal  Legislation,  to  the  abolition  and  penal  proscription 
of  the  African  Slave  Trade,  they  have  manifested,  in  every  manner 
deemed  compatible  with  their  fundamental  institutions,  the  fixed  opinions 
of  their  people,  and  considerations  of  the  highest  moment,  the  utmost  de- 
termination and  sincerity  in  carrying  out  that  policy  of  philanthropy  and 
justice.  But  the  United  States,  although  they  went  far,  stopped  at  the 
line  which  the  reckless  zeal  of  Commander  Moresby  overleaped.  Though 
often  persuaded,  they  have  invariably  declined  to  concede  to  any  nation, 
upon  any  terms,  for  any  object,  a  right  irreconcilable  with  the  perfect 
immunity  of  their  mercantile  marine  from  foreign  interference.  With- 
out  their  previously  obtained  consent,  no  visit,  or  search,  or  seizure,  of 
an  American  vessel  can  take  place  except  with  defiance  and  insult  to  their 
flag.  The  Convention  of  the  9th  of  August,  1842,  signed  at  Washington 
by  its  negotiators,  Mr.  Webster  and  Lord  Ashburton,  with  the  princi- 
ples and  provisions  of  which  your  lordship  is  familiar,  arranged  for  a 
small  squadron  of  the  United  States  Navy  on  the  coast  of  Africa,  in  order, 
first,  that  their  public  force  might  co-operate  with  that  of  her  Majestj'in 
extinguishing  the  Slave  Trade;  and,  secondly,  that  their  merchant  ves- 
sels, if  suspected,  or  ■even  flagrantly  guilty,  should,  nevertheless,  be  liable 
to  visitation,  or  search,  and  seizure,  by  the  officers  and  seamen  of  their 
own  country  only.  Eagerly,  even  at  great  cost,  as  the  suppression  of  the 
noxious  Traflic  might  be  sought,  it  was  still  not  an  aim  to  which  the 
United  States  would  consent  to  sacrifice  the  more  dearly  valued  exemp- 
tion of  their  own  citizens  from  coercion  by  strangers.  I  onay  he  pardoned 
for  hern  advertinfj  to  the  language  used  on  this  very  topic,  by  one  of  the 
■  brightest  and  "inost  authoritative  ornaments  of  English  judicature :  "No  one 
nation  has  a  '-iglit  to  force  its  tray  to  the  liberatio7i  of  Africa  by  trampling 
on  the  i>idrj)P)if/rnre  of  other  States,  oi'  to  j)ress  forward  to  a  great  principle 
by  breaking  through  other  great  livincipleti  that  stand  in  the  way.   The  right 


TO   THE  EARL   OF  CLARENDON.  205 

of  visitation  and  search  on  the  high  seas  does  not  exist  in  time  of  peace.  If 
it  belongs  to  one  nation,  it  equally  belongs  to  all,  a7id  would  lead  to  gigantic 
mischief  ajid  imivevsal  war."* 

It  is  hardly  worth  adding  that  the  raere  "  suspicion  "  or  belief  of  Com- 
mander Moresby  of  the  illegal  occupation  of  the  "  Panchita  "  cannot  be 
accepted  as  the  slightest  possible  basis  for  his  proceeding,  when  the  open 
avowal  or  the  living  proof  of  the  supposed  fact  of  guilt  is  not  itself  ad- 
mitted, by  compact  between  the  two  nations,  to  be  a  justification  of  search 
or  seizure. 

Some  difficulty  is  naturally  felt  in  adverting  to  the  remaining  reasons 
with  the  respect  due  to  an  olficer  honored  in  the  possession  of  the  Queen's 
commission.  But  I  feel  assured  that  Lord  Clarendon  will  understand 
me  as  only  desirous  to  bring  out  the  true  lineaments  of  the  transaction. 

Commander  Moresby  informs  Commodore  Adams  that  in  sending  the 
^^Panchita"  across  the  Atlantic,  in  charge  of  his  lieutenant,  to  New 
York,  he  was  "incited  by  the  unfortunate  fact  of  the  total  absence  of  any- 
thing like  an  American  naval  authority,  and  that  in  consequence  the 
' Panchita' s  '  detention  may  be  prolonged  for  an  indefinite  period." 

It  would,  perhaps,  ffb  harsh  and  invidious  to  scan  too  closely  the  state- 
ment that  the  sending  the  vessel  to  New  York  was  regarded  as  the  step 
which  involved  him  in  his  alleged  "great  responsibility."  In  the  chain 
of  his  acts,  that  one  is  the  only  link  not  liable  to  objection,  at  least  on 
the  part  of  the  United  States.  The  American  government  is  outraged, 
not  by  the  subsequent  misgiving  and  politic  device  of  a  reference  to  its 
own  tribunals,  but  by  the  violation  of  its  flag  at  the  outset,  the  unwar- 
ranted intermeddling  with  the  property  and  pursuits  of  its  citizens,  the 
"examination"  and  "detention." 

Actual  trial  for  a  number  of  years  has,  perhaps,  demonstrated  the  in- 
adequacy of  the  squadrons  on  the  Western  Coast  of  Africa  to  accomplish 
the  great  end  contemplated  by  their  respective  governments.  The  ves- 
sels are,  probably,  too  few  ;  necessarily  distant  from  each  other  ;  and  oc- 
casionally disabled  by  the  diseases  incident  to  climate,  or  the  disasters  of 
weather.  They  certainly  cannot  be  ubiquitous,  and  yet  without  that  at- 
tribute they  are  no  match  for  the  wary  and  covetous  slave-traders  on  that 
extensive  shore.  Such  difficulties,  if  remediable  at  all,  are  to  be  remedied, 
not  at  the  discretion  of  any  one,  or  all,  of  the  naval  agents  in  both  ser- 
vices, but  by  the  concurring  action  of  the  two  governments.  Commander 
Moresby  alleges  "  the  total  absence  of  anything  like  an  American  author- 
ity ;"  but  such  absence  (in  one  aspect,  rather  fortunate  than  otherwise)  jus- 
tified, as  regards  the  flag  of  the  United  States,  and  the  lives  and  property 
over  which  it  waved,  no  arbitrary  substitution  of  himself  in  the  stead 
of  the  American  absentee,  for  the  purposes  of  visitation  and  search.  An 
American  authority  might,  very  possibly,  upon  receiving  from  Commander 
Moresby  a  revelation  of  his  "suspicion  "  of  the  "Patichiia,"  have  done  pre- 
cisely what  Commander  Moresby  did;  but  Captain  Moresby  could  under 
no  circumstances  or  pretext  whatever  do  it,  without  usurping  a  super- 
visory function,  not  only  not  confided,  but  expressly  forbidden,  to  him. 

It  would  seem  as  if  the  imposed  restraints,  and  the  purposed  omissions, 
of  the  Treaty  of  1842,  were  not  in  harmony  with  the  speculative  opinicms, 
and  chafed  the  eager  spirit,  of  this  subordinate  officer.  He  entertained  "  a 
firm  conviction  that  if  some  steps  be  not  taken,  there  is  nothing  what- 
ever to  prevent  the  American  flag  from  sanctioning  any  vessel,  openly  in 
the  eyes  of  the  world,  equipping  and  trading  with  slavers  in  any  part  of 
the  African  coast;"  and  he  proceeded  to  take  the  reformatory  steps  of 

*  Lord  Stowell. 


206  TO  MR.  CASS. 

visitation  and  seizure  of  the  "Panchita."  This  may  be  one  mode  by 
which  the  Gordian  knot  of  the  "consuetudinary  Law  of  Nations,"  "great 
principles  that  stand  in  the  way,"  and  even  precise  conventional  stipula- 
tions, can  be  cut.  But  Commander  Moresby  has  to  learn  from  your  lord- 
ship that  it  is  an  absurd  and  indefensible  mode.  It  is  absurd,  as  having 
a  tendency  to  alienate  and  detach  from  the  united  undertaking  a  power- 
ful people  who  first  legislated  to  abolish  the  Trade ;  who  first,  by  muni- 
cipal enactment,  made  that  Trade  punishable  as  piracy  ;  and  whose  armed 
force  has  been  perseveringly  stationed  to  watch  and  prevent  it.  It  is  in- 
defensible, as  placing  the  matured  policy  and  peace  of  nations  at  the 
mercy  of  their  rash  and  presumptuous  servants,  and  as  "leading  to 
gigantic  mischief  and  universal  war." 

It  would  be  unjust  to  ascribe  to  Commander  Moresby  the  mistaken  im- 
pression that,  because  the  Criminal  Code  of  the  United  States  denounced  as 
piracy  the  Tratfic  of  which  he  suspected  the  ^'■Panchito."  to  be  guilty,  he  was, 
therefore,  at  liberty  to  search  and  seize  that  vessel  and  her  crew  as  "  ene- 
mies of  the  human  race."  He  puts  forward  no  such  erroneous  reason  for  his 
conduct.  Ignorance  of  the  wide  distinction  between  the  Law  of  all  Nations, 
and  the  Municipal  Law  of  a  single  one,  cannot  fairlj^be  attributed  to  him, 
or  to  any  British  officer.  The  protection  or  rescue  of  the  American  flag 
from  prostitution  to  illegal  aims,  still  rests  exclusively  with  the  Ameri- 
can government  and  people,  whose  will  and  ability  to  enforce  their  own 
statutes  cannot,  or  need  not,  be  questioned.  On  one  or  more  occasions, 
the  Secretary  of  State,  by  direction  of  the  President — both  of  them  ar- 
dently disposed  to  combined  movement  against  the  Trade,  and  stimulated 
by  a  Eesolution  of  the  House  of  Kepresentatives — proposed  to  her  Majes- 
ty's government  a  scheme  for  the  extirpation  of  that  condemned  com- 
merce, to  be  incorporated,  by  universal  consent,  into  the  Law  of  Nations, 
and  involving  mutual  concessions  of  the  right  of  search.  The  discussions, 
perplexities,  and  obstacles  encountered  by  that  proposition  need  not  be 
recalled;  it  is  enough  to  say  that  its  ultimate  failure  left  the  Law  of 
Nations,  which  it  was  designed  to  modify  on  the  point  referred  to,  unal- 
tered. 

I  trust  I  am  not  too  sanguine  when  anticipating  that  her  Majesty's 
government,  aware  how  occurrences  such  as  the  one  on  which  I  have  thus 
animadverted  grate  upon  the  sentiments  of  an  independent  people,  and 
how  rapidly  they  become  unmanageable  causes  of  estrangement  and  quar- 
rel, will  promptly  mark  the  act  of  Commander  Moresby  with  just  re- 
proof, and  otherwise  render  its  repetition  extremely  improbable. 

Copies  of  the  documents  transmitted  to  me  from  Washington,  and  which 
have  been  observed  upon,  accompany  this  communication. 

I  have,  etc., 
(Signed)  G.  M.  DALLAS. 


No.  147.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  September  17, 1857. 

Dear  Sir, — I  had  scarcely  closed  my  letter  of  the  14th 
instant  under  the  impression  that  it  would  go  in  the 
steamer  of  the  16th,  when  I  found  that  fresh  Indian  news 
had  arrived. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  207 

Nothing  more  auspicious,  however; — perhaps  a  still  far- 
ther sinking  in  the  morass  of  rebellion.  Anotlier  general 
forced  by  ill-health  to  quit  the  siege  of  Delhi,  which  has 
made  no  progress.  The  Bombay  Presidency  disatfected 
and  doubted.  The  rainy  season,  with  all  its  difficulties 
and  diseases,  fairly  set  in.  Yet  Havelock  has  marched 
from  one  victory  to  another,  has  probably  relieved  Luck- 
now,  and  possibl}^  terrified  Nana  Sahib  into  suicide.  Sir 
Colin  Campbell  had  reached  Calcutta.  I  shall  be  mistaken 
if  he  do  not  hasten  to  attempt  Delhi  by  assault. 

More  will  be  made  of  the  Imperial  coincidence  at  Stut- 
gard  than  is  generally  supposed.  It  will  probably  origin- 
ate a  Congress. 

Lord  Clarendon  has  been  relieved  of  his  attendance  on 
the  Queen  in  Scotland,  and  may  give  attention  to  my  Pan- 
chita  despatch  within  a  reasonable  time.  I  suppose  Com- 
mander Moresby  will,  for  his  reckless  zeal,  be  ultimately 
rewarded  with  knighthood. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  148 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  September  28,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  am  somewhat  exercised  to  deter- 
mine which  conspiracy  against  common  right  will  be  the 
less  injurious  to  the  United  States,  the  existing  one 
between  France  and  England,  or  the  one  concocted  at 
Stutgard  between  Alexander  and  Louis  Napoleon.  That 
the  Emperors  contemplate  an  alliance  which  will  affect 
the  relations  and  policies  of  all  the  European  governments, 
no  one  doubts :  that  it  must  ultimately  embarrass,  perhaps 
endanger,  this  country,  is  gloomily  anticipated : — but  its 
power  to  extend  its  influence  across  the  Atlantic  nobody 
believes.  The  course  of  British  cabinets,  in  the  constant 
snarling  and  arrogant  tendency  to  alienate  America,  has 
perhaps  accomplished  its  natural  result  and  rendered  it 
impossible  to  bring  our  people  to  sympathize,  much  less 
co-operate,  with  John  Bull  in  his  contests  with  continental 
despotisms. 


208  TO  MR.  CASS. 

The  effect  to  be  produced  on  the  domestic  politics  of 
England,  by  the  measures  of  the  new  alliance,  is  dreaded 
by  some,  and  exultingly  foreseen  by  others.  It  is  said,  the 
ministry  must  be  changed:  that  Palmerston,  though  very 
well  for  ordinary  times,  is  not  competent  to  a  great  na- 
tional crisis :  that  he  cannot  enact  the  wonders  of  Pitt.  I 
think  this  impression  of  his  capacity  is  very  general.  But 
what  then?  Is  there  a  stronger  man  to  be  had?  Cer- 
tainly not  among  the  Whigs,  properly  so  called.  Claren- 
don ?  Granville?  Lewis?  Panmure?  Labouchere?  Yer- 
non  Smith —  ?  No,  no,  no  !  But  can't  better  be  extracted 
from  the  Tory  ranks  ?  Derby  ? — not  relished.  Disraeli  ? — 
very  respectable  as  subordinate,  preposterous  as  Prime.  El- 
lenborough  ? — ditto.  In  sober  truth,  the  eye  ranges  over 
the  whole  Held  without  encountering  a  single  mind  up  to 
the  mark  of  command.  Perhaps  we  might,  as  the  best  of 
a  bad  bargain,  pick  up  Lord  Stanley. 

I  have  a  perfect  horror  of  Mormonism.  It  is  a  sort  of 
carbuncle  on  the  body  politic,  which  will  get  worse  and 
worse  every  year,  and  inflame  the  whole  system  unless 
resolutely  extirpated.  I  know  the  Constitutional  and  legal 
difficulties  in  the  way : — but  sincerely  hope  that  you  will 
seize  the  first  fair  opening  for  a  decisive  swoop.  The 
subject  is  one  for  conversation  here  almost  constantly. 
Within  the  last  few  weeks  some  of  the  Elders,  roaming  for 
converts,  have  held  meetings  in  London,  and  inspired  ex- 
treme disgust. 

A  dread  prevails  as  to  what  may  be  the  character  of  the 
hourly  expected  news  from  India.  It  is  feared  that  the 
cholera  may  have  compelled  an  abandonment  of  the  siege 
of  Delhi;  that  Lucknow  Fortress  may  have  fallen  before 
Havelock  reached;  that  he  may  be  surrounded  by  an 
overwhelming  force  of  sepoys  and  annihilated;  that  there 
may  be  a  preconcerted  rush,  during  the  Mohammedan 
Festival,  from  Delhi  all  along  the  Ganges  to  Calcutta; 
and  that  Madras  and  Bombay  will  be  unable  to  withstand 
the  torrent  of  insurrection.  It  is  said  that  no  substantial 
succor  can  arrive  until  late  in  October,  by  which  time 
irreparable  mischief  may  be  done. 

It  is  a  curious  fiict  that  there  is  a  considerable  party  in 
Ireland,  headed  by  the  newspaper  The  Nation  and  not 
a  little  countenanced  by  Cardinal  Wiseman,  Avhich  takes 
sides  with  the  llindoos,  against  the  Euylish  filibusters.     It 


TO  MR.  CASS.  209 

would  be  difficult  to  find  a  stronger  illustration  of  tlie 
liberty  of  the  Press  as  it  prevails  here. 

Of  course  you  notice  that  Lafragua  has  received  instruc- 
tions authorizing  him  to  accept  the  profifered  mediation. 
By  the  latest  hypothesis  (for  facts  are  unattainable)  the 
arrangement  will  be  negotiated  in  this  city. 

Xot  a  single  member  of  the  ministry  is  in  town  ;  unless 
he  have  casually  strayed  in  for  a  few  hours  to  or  from 
scenes  of  social  enjoyment. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — September  29,  1857.  Last  night's  telegram  (a 
newly  coined  and  most  convenient  noun)  of  events  in  In- 
dia, although  not  as  bad  as  was  supposed  possible,  gives 
additional  shades  to  the  picture.  Havelock  had  been  un- 
able to  advance  for  the  relief  of  Lucknow  as  late  as  the  12th 
of  August,  and  the  gloomiest  apprehensions  prevailed  as 
to  the  fate  of  the  thousand  English,  men,  women,  and 
children,  who  had  taken  refuge  there,  but  who  had  esti- 
mated their  provisions  to  last  only  to  the  6th  of  August. 
Delhi  as  heretofore.  General  Nicholson  had  reached  there 
with  reinforcements,  though  not  suflacient  to  justify  an  as- 
sault, say  2000.  The  spirit  of  mutiny  seems  spreading : — 
to  the  southwest  of  Delhi,  at  Judpore,  at  Belguum,  in  the 
Bombay  Presidency,  and  in  Bombay  itself,  where  they  were 
disarming  particular  native  corps;  and  in  Madras.  Lord 
Canning  is  the  object  of  much  attack,  as  inefficient  and 
too  forbearing.  It  is  said  that  he  and  Sir  Colin  Campbell 
had  had  serious  difterences,  and  that  Lord  Elgin  took 
sides  with  the  latter.  Nothing  short  of  prompt  vindic- 
tive cruelty  towards  the  sepoys  will  go  down  now.  John 
Bull  doubts  the  capacity  and  patriotism  of  every  man  who 
is  not  implacable ;  he  exacts  tprrents  of  black  blood,  and 
razed  cities.  Canning  will  probably  be  recalled  because 
he  don't  play  the  part  of  a  British  Nana  Sahib.  Lord  El- 
gin may  be  summoned  from  Hong-Kong,  whither  he  has 
returned,  to  assume  the  Governor-generalship.  Nobody, 
just  now,  cares  for  China. 

Lord  Clarendon  has  appointed  a  new  consul-general  at 
New  York,  Mr.  E.  M.  Archibald,  the  brother  of  the  gen- 
tleman who  has  been  lately  actively  soliciting  the  place 
and  who  is  known  I  believe  personally  to  the  President. 
The  consul  was  formerly  the  attorney-general  of  New- 


210  TO  MR.  CASS. 

foundland ;  and  had  retired  on  a  pension.  He  was  pre- 
ferred to  his  brother  because  younger,  being  within  50 
3^ears  of  age,  the  maximum  of  consular  appointees,  agreea- 
bly to  the  rules  of  the  Foreign  Office. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 
G.  M.  D. 


No.  149 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  5,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  said  we  need  expect  nothing  far- 
ther from  India  for  a  fortnight.  During  that  period 
anxiety  will  work  itself  into  fever. 

I  think  I  perceive  much  effort  and  dexterity  in  prevent- 
ing really  bad  news  from  striking  too  suddenly  upon  the 
public  mind.  One  of  these  finds  facility  in  the  little 
known  geography  of  Hindostan,  and  the  unpronouncea- 
ble nomenclature  of  its  towns  and  districts.  As  an  in- 
stance: A  mutiny  of  20,000,  with  a  Rajjah  of  Akulkote  at 
its  head,  is  announced  as  having  occurred  at  or  near  Shu- 
lapore :  well,  it  produces  no  special  sensation,  because 
few  are  able  to  separate  it  from  the  general  melee  in  Ben- 
gal between  Delhi  and  Calcutta.  But  if  you  once  turn  to 
the  map  and  gazetteer  and  discover  this  formidable  out- 
break to  be  in  the  Bombay  Presidenc}^,  about  250  miles 
southeast  of  the  city  of  Bombay,  then  you  perceive  it  tells 
an  ominous  story  of  the  extension  of  the  rebellion  some 
seven  or  eight  hundred  miles  from  its  place  of  origin,  far 
in  the  interior,  and  in  a  region  whose  order  was  still  mat- 
ter of  boast.  Perhaps  I  ascribe  unmerited  importance  to 
this  fact ;  but  on  carefully,  hunting  up  its  locality,  it  ap- 
pears to  me  terribly  significant.  One  immediate  effect  of 
these  sporadic  outbreaks  is  to  render  a  concentration  of 
the  British  forces  sent  out  quite  impossible. 

The  large  expenditures  incident  to  the  exactions  of  this 
"servile  war"  will  bring  the  skill  of  Sir  George  C.  Lewis, 
Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer,  into  play.  Government  is 
more  earnest  and  lavish  now  than  in  the  Crimean  war. 
Yet,  by  an  official  abstract  it  appears  that  the  receipts  in 
the  Treasury  during  the  quarter  ending  30th  September, 
contrasted  with   those  of  the   corresponding  quarter  of 


TO  MR.  CASS.  211 

1856,  shew  a  decrease  of  X900,000 :  althougli  comparing 
the  entire  years,  that  of  '56  surpasses  '57  by  only  £170,000. 
ISTow  the  principal  decrease  has  been  in  the  Excise  and 
property  tax,  amounting  jointly  to  upwards  of  £500,000 : 
and  it  may  well  be  predicted  that  the  reductions  effected 
last  fall  will  have  to  be  undone,  and  that  the  Income  tax, 
with  such  modifications  as  will  prevent  its  becoming 
unpopular,  which  it  certainly  ought  not  to  be,  will  be  re- 
established and  possibly  increased  beyond  any  rate  it  has 
yet  attained.  The  amount  of  taxation  which  this  people 
will  bear  is  wonderful.  Their  capacity  to  borrow  on 
emergencies  is  the  only  more  wonderful  thing : — their 
credit  being  literally  inexhaustible,  as  the  annual  profits 
of  their  industry  are  enormous. 

Your  ITos.  80  and  81  by  the  Europa  came  this  morning. 
Now  do,  pray,  attend  to  what  I  have  to  say  about  the  die 
from  which  you  send  a  gold  medal  for  Captain  De  Gruchy. 
So  many  have  passed  through  my  hands  that  I  am  almost 
ashamed  of  havino^  been  accessarv  to  infiictino-  so  much 
discredit  upon  the  artistic  taste  and  skill  of  the  country. 
^Nothing  can  be  worse  imagined  or  worse  executed.  We 
formerly  had  die-sinkers  who  produced  beautiful  medals. 
In  the  Mint  at  Philadelphia  there  are  some  that  do  credit 
to  American  art.  But  this!  ye  gods,  it  is  frightful! 
Gold  cannot  make  it  tolerable,  although  it  burnishes  and 
recommends  everything  else.  In  silver,  worse.  Now,  in 
this  dilettanti  age,  we  are  snubbed  at  the  sight  of  such 
specimens  from  the  government  studio.  If  the  stamp  is 
worth'  having  at  all,  it  is  worth  having  such  as  will  stand 
criticism.     "Reform  it  altogether." 

I  send  you  what  I  think  rather  an  interesting  and  tell- 
tale slip  just  cut  from  a  newspaper.  It  shews  the  troops 
sent  to  India,  vessels,  and  dates:  and  you  will  perceive 
that  the  greater  portion  can  hardly  be  expected  to  reach 
their  destination  before  November.  Hence,  no  doubt,  it 
has  been  resolved  to  try  the  shorter  cut  by  the  Isthmus 
of  Suez  and  the  Red  Sea. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


212  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  150 -TO  JUDGE  WOODWAED. 

London,  October  6,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  had  not  supposed  that  it  would  take 
Lord  Clarendon  so  long  to  deliberate  upon  the  expediency 
of  allowing  me  to  have  a  copy  of  Major  Butler's  report. 
It  is  near  a  month  since  I  wrote  to  him,  and  his  answer 
came  last  evening.  You  will  observe  too  that  he  has 
thought  proper  to  omit  some  portions.  Of  the  nature  of 
these  suppressions,  it  is  useless  to  conjecture,  though  one 
can  hardly  avoid  thinking  that  they  might  possibly  have 
exhibited  the  combined  forces  of  savages  and  English  as 
committing  equal,  mayhap  greater  excesses  than  are  now 
fierceh'  denounced  as  unpardonable  barbarities  by  the 
"black  lieuds"  of  Bengal.  This  sensitiveness  to  national 
character  is  rather  laudable  than  otherwise,  but  had  better 
not  be  indulged  at  the  expense  of  historical  truth.  The 
Earl  is  himself  so  excellent  and  amiable,  that  I  am  not 
surprised  at  his  shrinking  from  disclosing  how  worse  than 
wild  Indians  his  countrymen  sometimes  are  or  have  been. 
Copies  of  the  letters  which  passed  between  us  are  enclosed 
for  your  private  information. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  151.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  October  13,  1857. 

!My  dear  Sir, — There  is  a  great  likelihood  that  the  King 
of  Prussia  will  shortly  die.  I  presume  we  shall  all  be 
bound  to  go  into  mourning  for  his  Majesty,  especially  as  the 
marriage  of  his  nephew  with  the  Princess  Royal  has  made 
so  much  stir  in  Parliament  and  elsewhere.  By-the-by 
(even  the  d —  is  entitled  to  his  due),  I  have  been  assured 
most  positively  that  the  alleged  intemperate  habits  of  the 
King  were  the  false  inventions  of  English  travellers,  that 
he  is  uncommonly  abstemious,  drinks  nothing  beyond 
wine  and  water,  but  that  he  has  a  silly  trick  of  lowering 
his  eyes  and  shaking  his  head,  which  suggested  the  notion 


TO  MR.  CASS.  213 

that  he  was  vinum  guzlando  potens.  His  intellect  is  fast 
yielding,  and  he  now  fails  to  recognize  his  oldest  friends. 
"When  he  is  iinally  off,  I  suppose  there  will  be  an  immense 
rajyprocheinent  between  the  Courts  of  Potsdam  and  St. 
James. 

The  Queen  will  honor  the  southern  section  of  her  do- 
minions by  returning  from  Balmoral  to  Windsor  on  Satur- 
day next  the  17th.  Her  Majesty  stops  a  day,  in  the  royal 
progress,  at  Haddo  House  with  the  Earl  of  Aberdeen.  I 
take  it  for  granted  that  this  great  dull  town  will  feel  the 
influence  of  regal  vicinity,  and  be  restored  to  the  life  so 
essential  to  sustain  these  private  letters  of  mine. 

Your  idea  of  improving  our  foreign  diplomacy  by  hav- 
ing each  minister  apprised  of  the  principal  objects  pur- 
suing at  every  Court  is  excellent.  I  urged  something 
analogous  to  it  upon  Mr.  Forsyth,  while  I  was  at  St.  Pe- 
tersburg, and  I  pressed  it  upon  Mr.  Webster  when  Secre- 
tary of  State.  It  is  the  great  practical  advantage  enjoved 
by  the  diplomats  of  Russia.  It  produces  a  harmony  of 
action  and  inculcatkm  that,  in  a  long  run,  tells  conclusively. 
Mr.  Webster's  difiiculty  was  in  the  great  labor  which  it 
must  throw  upon  somebody  in  the  department,  already 
overtaxed.  How  that  may  be,  I  can't  pretend  to  say : — 
but  if  there  be  an}-  use  at  all  in  having  missions  dotted 
over  Europe,  they  might  as  well  be  made  to  co-operate  iu 
the  general  policy  of  the  goyernment  as  run  the  risk  of 
impeding  it  by  a  want  of  information  from  the  fountain- 
head.  Take  an  instance  somewhat  illustrative.  I  had 
been  here  but  three  or  four  months  when,  at  an  interview 
in  the  Foreign  Office,  Lord  Clarendon  suddenly  asked  me 
whether  a  treaty  had  been  made  between  the  United 
States  and  Persia,  by  which  we  had  engaged  to  lend  some 
naval  squadrons  to  the  Shah,  and  were  to  be  indemnified 
by  the  possession  of  certain  trading  stations  in  the  Gulf: 
— and  he  produced  two  or  three  long  articles  extracted 
from  the  instrument.  What  could  I  reply  ?  There  was 
no  practice  of  communicating  from  the  department  on 
which  I  could  rely,  and  I  had  never  heard  of  the  treaty. 
Fortunately,  I  took  a  strong  impression  that  his  lordship 
was  making,  rather  hastily,  a  ground  of  complaint  against 
us  as  a  set-otF  to  Crampton's  affair,  and  that  the  alleged 
treaty  was  absurdly  uuconstituti,onal.  I  pondered  over 
the  paper  he  put  in  my  hands  for  a  minute  or  two,  and, 


214  TO  MR.  CASS. 

aware  that  his  eyes  were  fixed  with  suspicion  on  my 
face,  I  slowly  relaxed  into  a  smile,  and  then  exclaimed, 
langhing,  "My  lord,  you  are  hoaxed:  this  is  a  document 
which  no  American  statesman  would  dream  of  making: 
— some  one  has  played  upon  what  he  believed  to  be  the 
readiness  of  the  ministry  to  think  the  United  States  capa- 
ble of  any  enormity." — Now,  this  was  little  more  than 
good  luck,  and  certainly  was  not  founded  on  any  positive 
knowledge  of  facts,  one  way  or  the  other.  It  struck  his 
lordship  forcibly,  but  did  not  convince  him,  and  at  his 
special  request  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Marcy  inquiringly  upon 
the  subject.  The  hoax  was  proved  : — but  the  risk  run  in 
denouncing  it,  at  the  outset,  weighed  upon  my  mind  for 
some  time. 

Lord  C.  has  just  sent  me  two  large  Blue  Books,  pur- 
porting to  be  official  correspondence  on  the  Slave-Trade 
up  to  March,  '57.  Do  you  want  them?  I  have  not  yet 
had  time  to  open  their  pages.  Indeed,  I  look  upon  these 
compilations,  laid  upon  the  parliamentary  tables  with  ex- 
ceeding regularity,  as  mere  sops  to  Cerberus,  intended  to 
gorge  the  anti-slavery  appetite,  so  keen  throughout  Eng- 
land, and  to  take  from  the  Opposition  one  of  the  popular 
themes  of  declamation  and  attack.  It  is  hard  work  to 
wade  through  them. 

There  is  heavy  sighing  on  the  London  Exchange  and 
Paris  Bourse.  The  calamitous  panic  in  America,  and  the 
financial  confusion  in  India  are  creating  mischief  every- 
where, and  the  end  is  not  yet.  Consols,  in  one  day,  yes- 
terday, fell  near  1 J  per  cent.  This  was  accelerated  by  the 
unlooked-for  action  of  the  Bank  of  England,  in  raising 
her  rate  of  discount,  before  10  a.  m.  to  7  per  cent.  Pri- 
vate failures  are  beginning  to  pour  in,  among  the  Scotch- 
American  houses  particularly.  Some  anticipations  are 
gloomy  enough  to  embrace  a  stoppage  of  the  bank  in  pay- 
ing specie.  Gold  and  silver  are  flowing  westward,  across 
the  Atlantic.  A  million  of  dollars,  it  is  said,  will  be 
shipped  to-day  from  Liverpool.  The  French  funds  under- 
went a  rapid  declension.  The  newspaper  accounts  from 
the  United  States  are  exceedingly  distressing : — but,  un- 
like any  derangement  of  credit  or  currency  we  have  here- 
tofore experienced,  it  would  seem  that  the  present  one 
is  in  no  manner  whatever  ascribed  to,  or  inflamed  by, 
politics.  Ilence,  I  am  inclined  to  augur  an  earlier  re- 
covery. 


TO  SIR    W.  G.  OUSELY.  215 

I  should  doubt  whether  the  Central  American  Treaty 
will  receive  the  attention  of  this  government  until  they 
are  relieved  of  anxiety  about  India.  My  impression  is 
that,  rather  than  quarrel,  they  will  yield  their  interpreta- 
tion of  Mr.  Clayton's  unhappy  Convention : — but  they  will 
be  extremely  reluctant  to  do  so  in  a  direct  manner,  or  at 
a  moment  when  it  would  seem  extorted  from  their  na- 
tional embarrassment.  When  they  do  it,  they  will  want 
it  to  appear  a  concession  to  amity.  Perhaps,  too,  at  this 
moment,  the  sore  is  a  little  too  fresh. 

The  rage  is  for  Imperial  Conferences.  These  dignita- 
ries are  just  now  all  three  comparatively  young  men,  and 
are  naturally  disposed  to  scan  each  other's  figures.  Aus- 
tria and  France  meet  next : — time  and  place  not  3'et  deter- 
mined. As  to  my  predicted  Congress,  to  come  out  of 
the  Stutgard  "  embraces,"  it  is  getting  along  slowly  but 
surely. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  152.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — My  Bag  has  gone,  and  I  have  only  a 
moment  to  say  that  Sir  William  G.  Ousely  will  be  sent 
out,  as  a  Commissioner  of  some  sort,  to  settle  the  Central 
American  question. 

He  comes  to  Washington  first,  and  then  proceeds  to 
Central  America.     He  leaves  here  in  about  a  fortnight. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  153.-TO  SIE  W.  G.  OUSELY. 

London,  October  18,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir  William, — Pray  receive  two  packages, 
one  composed  of  official  documents,  which  I  beg  3'ou  to 
keep,  and  the  other  of  two  volumes,  being  Squier's  work 


•  • 


216  TO  MR.  J.  M.  M. 

on  the  region  yon  are  abont  visiting,  and  which,  as  a  gift 
from  the  author,  I  am  bound  not  to  part  with. 

If,  on  farther  rummaging,  I  find  anything  more  that 
can  possibly  be  serviceable,  I  shall  do  myself  the  pleasure 
of  sending  it. 

Begging  you  to  make  my  best  compliments  to  Lady  O. 
whose  prospect  in  the  coming  month  I  cannot  help  envy- 
ing, I  am, 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  154 -TO  ME.  J.  M.  M. 

London,  October  16,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  great  difficulty  in  forming  a 
satisfactory  judgment  on  the  actual  state  of  things  in  In- 
dia, or  the  prospects.  So  much  is  exaggerated,  so  much 
concealed,  and  so  much  thrown  into  confusion  by  endless 
repetition.  My  opinion,  however,  is  that  the  rebels  have 
done  their  worst,  have  leavened  nearly  all  Hindostan  with 
their  spirit  of  mutiny  without  being  able  to  produce  a 
general  explosion,  and  will  now  be  rapidly  reduced  to  sub- 
jection. The  great  body  of  the  forces  recently  levied  will 
reach  the  field  of  action  before  the  1st  of  November. 
They  may  find  the  country  already  nearly  restored  to 
tranquillity,  by  Sir  Colin  Campbell,  Havelock,  and  Nichol- 
son:— if  not,  their  own  numbers  are  abundantly  sufficient 
to  eflect  that  end.  England  has  exhibited  more  than 
usual  military  vigor  and  capacity,  at  this  crisis.  The 
beastly  butcheries  of  women  and  children  have  stirred 
the  blood  in  the  lowest  depths  of  John  Bull's  heart. 
So  too,  the  British  soldiery  in  Bengal  have  exhibited  ad- 
mirable courage  and  endurance.  To  be  sure,  everything 
has  been  made  to  give  way  before  the  resolution  to  save,  at 
every  cost,  the  Indian  empire.  They  will  soon  begin  to 
discuss  the  principles  on  which  to  refound  their  govern- 
ment there.  The  Bishop  of  Oxford  and  Mr.  Gladstone 
have  opened  the  theme  with  some  impressiveness: — the 
former  is  for  giving  Christianity  "/rt/r|>>fo^,"  by  which  he 
means  proselyting :  the  latter  is  rather  too  much  of  a  states- 
man and  philosopher  for  that.   I  am,  on  the  whole,  inclined 


•  • 


TO  MR.  CASS.  217 

by  the  signs  of  the  times  to  think  that,  after  the  subject 
has  been"  well  buffeted  between  parties,  and  hammered 
to  death  in  the  journals,  it  will  gradually  lull  into  silence, 
be  forgotten,  and  the  old  course  of  proceeding  resume 
tranquilly  its  march.  To  be  sure,  this  will  lead  to  future 
outbreaks  periodically,  but  what  of  that  ?  In  politics,  as 
in  monetary  atiairs,  panics,  though  momentarily  frightful, 
have  their  permanent  advantages. 

The  King  of  Prussia  threatens  to  die.  His  brother  and 
proper  successor  meditates  renunciation  or  abdication  (at 
least  so  your  excellent  friend  Mrs.  E.  just  from  Paris  told 
me  she  had  heard),  and  then  Prince  William,  with  his 
British  bride,  the  Princess  Royal,  mounts  the  throne. 
Victoria  gets  ahead  of  Louis  Napoleon  by  this  family  ar- 
rangement. 

Spain  is  at  a  loss  to  get  men  willing  to  assume  the  respon- 
sibilities of  governing  her.  That  race,  so  renowned  some 
centuries  ago,  is  fast  sinking,  indeed  already  sunk,  into 
wretched  impotency.  Queen  Isabella,  sick  of  all  the  fac- 
tions around  her,  musters  character  enough  to  insist  upon 
presiding  at  the  Council ! 

Our  yellow  fogs  have  begun,  and  her  Majesty  has  come 
"frae  Scotia:" — so  London  will  be  rapidly  repeopled. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  155.-T0  MK.  CASS. 

London,  October  20,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Bank  of  England  yesterday  raised 
her  rate  of  discount  to  8  per  cent.: — a  rare,  if  not  the 
single,  instance  of  its  being  placed  so  high.  Of  course  Con- 
sols fell : — they  are  84J,  and  all  stocks  are  affected.  The 
continental  banks  are  taking  the  same  steps.  A  feverish 
anxiety  pervades  the  mercantile  classes.  The  danger  is 
attributed  to  the  disruption  of  credit  in  the  United  States, 
and  particularly  to  the  lawless  course  of  our  banks.  These 
institutions  seem  subject  to  periodical  epidemics;  and  as 
the  respective  States  have,  over  and  over  again,  shewn 
their  incapacity  to  control  them,  could  Congress  apply  the 
constitutional  power  to  better  purpose  than  by  enacting 

VOL.  I. — 15 


218  TO  MR.  CASS. 

a  bankrupt  law  for  their  exclusive  benefit?  It  is  quite 
clear  that  while  they  are  at  liberty  when  a  storm  comes 
to  find  shelter  in  suspending  payment,  they  will  never 
take  in  sail,  or  fasten  the  hatches  down.  They  should  be 
forced  to  forecast : — when  the  fit  is  actually  upon  them, 
measures  of  mitigation,  compromise,  and  relief  seem  un- 
avoidable : — the  only  plan  is  to  prescribe,  while  they  are 
sound,  a  rule  which  will  keep  them  so.  Hang  the  birch 
on  the  wall  of  the  school-room. 

This  India  convulsion  will  more  or  less  affect  the  politi- 
cal attitude  and  pretension  of  England  for  some  years  to 
come.  Hence  it  may  be  important  to  us  that  its  real  bear- 
ings and  perpetually  shifting  phases  should  be  distinctly 
understood.  Is  it  to  weaken  her?  Isit  to  tone  her  down? 
Will  her  relations  with  Persia  or  Russia  become  compli- 
cated with  it  ?  What  branches  of  trade,  or  supplies  for  her 
manufactories,  are  put  in  jeopardy  ?  These  and  many  other 
questions  naturally  spring  up,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  Anglo-Hindostanee  study  might  be  very  useful  to  our 
politics,  if  not  now,  at  least  soon.  The  Press  is  teeming 
with  publications  of  great  interest  and  authority  upon  the 
subject: — and  I  have  sometimes  wished  that  I  had  it  in 
my  power  to  send  them  to  your  departmental  library,  and 
add  them  to  that  of  the  legation.  Here  are  some  twelve 
or  fifteen  works — among  them,  that  mine  of  exact*  and 
useful  information  of  all  kinds  "  Thornton's  Gazetteer  of  In- 
ch'a,"  without  which  a  practical  statesman's  shelves  are  im- 
perfectly supplied.     What  say  you  ? 

A  continental  and  no  unfriendly  paper  warns  English- 
men not  to  be  too  sanguine  in  the  expectation  of  repressing 
the  rebellion,  and  points  significantly  to.  the  Sikhs,  as  a 
probable  source  of  great  danger,  though  at  the  moment 
friendly.  The  warning  is  rather  late,  be  its  foundation 
what  it  may.  John  Bull  thinks  he  has  already  strangled 
the  tiger.  The  Globe,  a  few  days  ago,  chanting  the  in- 
vincibility of  the  Anglo-Saxon,  declared  that  even  the 
American  Revolution  would  have  been  crushed  had  not 
France  lent  her  aid  ! 

Isabella  of  Spain  has  at  last  a  new  ministry,  of  which 
Admiral  Armero  and  Mon  are  the  chiefs.  The  rest  of  the 
component  members  as  yet  unannounced. 

Prussia  will  probably  follow  the  example  of  Sweden, 
and  have  her  Regency.     From  regent  Prince  Oscar,  we 


TO  MR.  MARKOE.  219 

are  to  have  a  new  member  of  the  diplomatic  corps  at  this 
Court, — Count  de  Platen,  in  the  place  of  old  Baron  de 
Hochschild. 

The  Queen  and  Court  ensconced  themselves  at  Wind- 
sor on  Saturday  last. 

All  Americans  abroad  recur  with  pride  to  the  heroism 
of  Herndon  and  his  companions.  An  act  which  illustrates 
and  dignifies  national  character  should,  somehow,  receive 
national  notice. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  156.-T0  ME.  MAEEOE. 

London,  October  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Oh  !  for  some  sassafras,  or  slippery 
elm,  vegetable  simples  apparently  unknown  to  the  phar- 
macopoeia of  this  Babylon  ! — for  the  very  act  of  putting  on 
my  specs  reminds  me  that  the  rebellious  eye  of  which  I 
complained  about  this  time  last  year,  has  come  back  to 
worry  and  disable. 

The  money  mutiny,  like  that  of  the  sepoys,  is  slowl}^  but 
surely  yielding  to  the  force  of  metal.  Consols  closed  yes- 
terday at  88f ,  a  shade  better  than  the  day  before.  All 
the  world  here  is  engrossed  by  two  possibilities ;  universal 
bankruptcy  and  the  loss  of  India:  one  just  as  likely  as  the 
other,  and  both  mere  air-drawn  daggers. 

I  have  omitted  to  thank  Mr.  Chilton  for  his  few  beau- 
tiful lines  on  Herndon.  Pray  do  it,  and  most  cordially, 
for  me.  This  incident  is  unequalled  in  moral  beauty. 
The  case  of  the  British  frigate  Birkenhead  was  like  it, 
but  inferior  in  the  fact  that  the  saving  of  the  women  and 
children  was  the  result  of  military  discipline,  and  not  of 
purely  voluntary  heroism.  I  hope  the  subscription  for  the 
family  will  succeed  :  but  I  look  at  the  act  in  another  point 
of  view.  It  is  a  great  event,  illustrative  of,  and  tending 
as  long  as  remembered  to  mould,  the  national  character. 
Our  history  has  some,  though  few,  of  such  significant  and 
immortal  utterances  of  high-souled  humanity  : — the  clod- 
hoppers rejecting  Andre's  bribe  is  one,  and  Miller's  "I'll 
try"  another: — but  nothing  so  calm,  so  utterly  unselfish, 


220  TO  MR.  CASS. 

so  simultaneously  good  ajid  great,  has  yet  been  recorded. 
It  should  live  and  speak  forever.  Perhaps  it  is  unsuited 
to  the  cold  material  of  the  sculptor : — but  ten  or  twenty 
thousand  dollars  appropriated  by  Congress  for  a  vigorous 
effort  of  Horace  Vernet's  brush,  to  be  hung  in  the  Capitol 
or  the  White  House,  would  secure  an  everlasting  discourse 
upon  the  glories  of  a  subject  far  exceeding  any -military 
achievement  on  which  we  habitually  expend  folios  of  4th 
of  July  Orations.  I  should  like  to  enlist  Mr.  Pearce,  of 
the  Senate,  and  some  such  high-feeling  and  bold-speaking 
man  as  Governor  Wise,  in  the  House,  for  this. 

But  my  eye  is  furiously  angry,  and  threatens  if  I  go  on 
to  burst — into  tears. 

Our  countrymen  are  hurrying  home  in  shoals,  terrified 
at  what  the  panic  has  done  or  may  do. 

Ever  truly  yrs. 


No.  157 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  23,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  despatch  on  this  occasion  will  bring 
you  a  formal  notification  of  Admiral  Seymour's  blockade 
of  the  port  and  river  of  Canton.  This  may  possibly  inter- 
fere with  our  trade  somewhat  seriously.  It  puts  a  stop  to 
the  chuckle  I  have  seen  in  some  of  our  papers  to  the 
effect  that  we  might  reap  a  harvest  while  they  were  quar- 
relling. 

This  war  is  one  between  Sir  Michael  Seymour  and  Com- 
missioner Yeh,  or  between  England  and  Canton,  not  be- 
tween the  two  Empires  of  Great  Britain  and  China : — and 
certainly  no  declaration  of  war  has  yet  appeared.  I  suppose 
therefore  we  are  to  regard  it  as  an  imperfect  or  limited 
war,  though  it  looks  more  like  a  "  Plug  Ugly  "  skrimmage 
than  a  national  war. 

The  panic  in  the  United  States  acts  upon  our  travelling 
countrymen  like  the  "  rappel "  or  beat  for  a  retreat.    They 

are  fast  thronging  homewards.     Mr. told  me  that  on 

one  morning,  after  the  receipt  of  disastrous  failures  and 
suspensions  the  night  before,  one  hundred  and  fifty  had 
departed  from  the  Hotel  du  Louvre  at  Paris  to  get  on 
board  the  Vauderbilti 


TO  MR.  CASS.  221 

Consols  were  yesterday  a  scintilla  below  89.  This  is 
slight  but  perceptible  improvement.  The  great  effort  is, 
if  possible,  to  prevent  the  shipment  of  gold  and  silver  to 
the  United  States.  Such  consignments  are  so  immensely 
remunerative  just  now,  that  the  Bank  of  England  repels 
by  an  8  per  cent,  discount  notes  designed  to  draw  out  her 
coin.  She  has  succeeded,  it  is  thought,  quite  suificiently 
to  avert  the  danger. 

We  can  expect  no  news  from  India  short  of  a  week 
hence.  Boys  in  the  streets  are,  to  be  sure,  every  night 
shrieking  out,  "Delhi  fallen,"  "Havelock  defeated;" — 
but  their  newspapers  contain  nothing  of  the  sort. 

An  inflammation  in  my  left  eyelid,  engendered  by  a 
fierce  midnight  lamp  and  the  intolerable  types  of  the  New 
York  and  Philadelphia,  journals,  absolutely  compels  me 
to  stop  short.  I  dare  say  you  will  breathe  a  "  thank 
gracious!"  for  if  the  members  of  your  diplomatic  mena- 
gerie throw  at  you  such  heaps  of  paper  j^ellets  as  I  do, 
it  is  not  in  human  nature  to  avoid  a  sense  of  patience 
overwhelmed. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  158.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  October  30,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  last  news  from  India,  although  ac- 
companied by  the  storm  of  Delhi,  is  of  a  mixed  character, 
and  scarcely  justifies  the  exultation  expressed  in  the  Press 
here.  The  capture  of  the  city  was  not  attained  except 
with  immense  comparative  loss,  especially  of  officers,  and 
it  proved  an  almost  empty  acquisition,  as  the  great  body 
of  the  rebels,  with  their  new  King  at  their  head,  had  skil- 
fully managed  to  evacuate  the  place,  to  cross  the  Jumna 
by  a  bridge  of  boats,  and  to  efi'ect  a  compact  and  safe  re- 
treat. The  details  of  the  assault,  if  allowed  to  appear,  will 
probably  be  frightful ;  as  it  was  protracted  for  six  days, 
during  the  greater  part  of  which  the  fighting  was  con- 
ducted in  the  streets.  Such  disastrous  and  inconclusive 
successes,  in  a  civil  or  servile  war,  ought  not  to  be  vapored 
about.     The  escape  of  the  King  and  garrison,  which  re- 


222  TO  MR.  CASS. 

quires  explanation,  makes  the  whole  siege  measurably 
abortive. 

It  is  also  quite  obvious  that,  instead  of  being  overawed 
and  checked,  the  disaflection  is  becoming  wider  and  bolder. 
The  son  of  the  deposed  King  of  Oude,  but  15  or  16  years 
of  age,  has  been  hoisted  into  the  throne  of  his  father,  and 
his  ministers  have  organized  a  force  to  impede  the  march 
of  Havelock  and  Outram  to  the  relief  of  Lucknow.  Sev- 
eral sepoy  regiments  heretofore  relied  on  have  mutinied. 
The  English  battalions,  to  be  sure,  seem  invincible  where 
they  stand: — but  their  power  is  confined  to  that  ^^pos- 
sessio  pedis  "  and  they  do  not  put  down  the  insurrection. 
By  this  time,  however,  the  new  levies  have  reached  the 
scene  of  action,  and  we  may  expect  to  witness  something 
definitive. 

The  question  as  to  the  union  or  status  quo  of  the  Danu- 
bian  Principalities  is  rapidly  ripening  into  what  may  prove 
a  quarrel  after  the  approaching  Conference  at  Paris. 
France,  Russia,  Prussia,  and  Sardinia  favor  the  consolida- 
tion, with  a  new  King  chosen  from  the  western  dynasties: 
England,  Austria,  and  Turkey  are  averse  to  anything  of 
the  sort.  The  Principalities  themselves  have  recently  by 
large  votes  in  their  respective  divans  pronounced  for 
union.  The  difiiculty  will  not  be  removed  when  the 
Powers  come  to  consider  the  Treaty  of  Paris  (or  of  Peace) 
of  the  30th  of  March  last: — on  the  contrary,  it  will  be 
augmented.  For  it  is  clear  that  by  Article  25,  if  the  Sul- 
tan alone  holds  aloof  and  refuses  to  agree  to  any  proposed 
definitive  organization  of  these  provinces,  he  is  at  liberty 
to  do  so,  and  his  "suzerainete"  remains  unimpaired.  But 
he  has  done  so  already,  in  advance  of  the  Conference  : — 
he  has  formally  repudiated  the  new  monarchy  scheme  as 
one  to  which  he  will  never  assent  or  submit;  and  while 
apparently  silent,  both  England  and  Austria  vigorously 
back  him  up  in  this  stand.  The  majority  of  the  Powers 
in  conference,  sustained  by  the  regularly  ascertained  sense 
of  the  Principalities  themselves,  will  not  readily  or  cheer- 
fully submit  to  the  Sultan's  veto.  Hence  it  is  not  impos- 
sible that  the  consulting  physicians  may  disseminate  an 
opinion  that  "  the  sick  man  "  is,  after  all  said  and  done, 
pretty  much  as  Dr.  Nicholas  thought  him,  and  that  deple- 
tion, drenching,  and  straight-waistcoating  constitute  the 
only  promising  treatment. 


TO  MR,  CASS.  223 

By  tills  occasion,  you  have  consigned  to  you  Sir  Wil- 
liam Gore  Ousely  and  his  charming  American  wife, 
whose  transmission  by  her  Alajesty  to  Central  America 
(pray  where  is  that  government?)  I  apprised  you  of  in  my 
note  of  the  13th  instant. 

I  had  the  pleasure  to  welcome  Secretary  Cobb's  Commis- 
sioner on  International  Coinage  two  days  ago.  Professor 
Alexander  shall  certainly  have  the  benefit  of  all  the  aid  I 
can  give  him  in  getting  access  to  the  officers  of  govern- 
ment to  confer  on  the  interesting  subject  intrusted  to  his 
care.  The  topic,  however,  is  not  one  to  which  attention 
can,  just  now,  be  turned. 

Prussia,  you  will  have  observed,  has  lapsed  into  a  Re- 
gency. The  King,  confiding  everything  to  the  hands  of 
his  brother,  proposes  travelling  southwards  to  Rome  and 
^Naples.  He  will  hardly  get  through  the  winter,  and  may 
be  regarded,  like  the  generality  of  patients  whom  their 
physicians  recommend  to  travel,  as  a  rapidly  '■'•dissolving 
view.''  The  circumstances  connected  with  the  event  seem, 
somehow  or  other,  to  interfere  with  the  programme  of  the 
marriage  of  Prince  William  and  the  Princess  Royal : — a 
postponement  to  the  spring  is  already  hinted. 

The  alarm  excited  here  by  the  monetary  panic  in  the 
United  States  is  subsiding.  Few  failures : — among  which 
only  one  Bank,  the  Borough  Bank  of  Liverpool. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  159.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  November  6, 1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  commercial  fright,  which  seems 
generally  swelling  into  terror,  is  the  only  thing  which 
might  possibly  be  beaten  up  to  an  importance  sufficient 
for  a  despatch.  Everything  else  since  the  fall  of  Delhi 
was  announced  is  flat  and  fugitive.  England  has  rather  a 
heavy  load  upon  her  back  at  present,  and  this  last  mone- 
tary pressure  threatens  to  make  her  stagger.  Every  fresh 
steamer  (the  Vanderbilt  last  evening)  brings  gloomier  ac- 
counts from  the  United  States.  All  the  merchants  and 
manufacturers  connected  with  American  trade  are  startled 


224  TO  MR,  CASS. 

and  trembling.  The  Bank  already  appeals  to  the  forbear- 
ance of  her  depositors  and  customers,  and  tells  them  that 
if  they  act  upon  their  fears  and  ask  her  bullion,  she  can- 
not stand  it.  Her  interest  is  raised  to  9  per  cent.,  and 
another  puff  of  the  western  sirocco  will  lift  it  to  10.  What 
then  ?  Why,  then  she  must  cry  out  to  Lord  Palmerston 
and  Parliament,  "help  me,  Cassius,  or  I  sink!" — What 
if  they  refuse  ?  Why,  then  I  should  be  disposed  to  re- 
member that  the  population  of  this  Babel  might  become 
feverish  and  excitable  under  the  influence  of  an  infusion 
of  some  hundreds  of  thousands  of  discharged  ojjeratives, 
and  that  it  might  be  prudent  to  have  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
ready  for  exhibition  from  one's  balustrade !  Bread  riots, 
however,  are  not  famous  for  discrimination. 

The  failure  to  lay  the  Atlantic  electric  cable  has  been 
followed  by  the  failure  to  launch  the  Great  Eastern,  or,  as 
christened,  "The  Leviathan."  An  attempt  on  the  3d  in- 
stant, to  permit  the  monster  to  slide  sideways  down  an 
inclined  plane  into  the  Thames  was  frustrated  by  some  of 
the  workmen  mistaking  a  signal  shewn  by  Mr.  Brunei 
from  his  elevated  position  on  the  deck : — the  effect  being, 
that  one  part  of  the  ship  obeyed  the  signal  and  moved  some 
three  or  four  feet,  while  the  other  part  remained  sta- 
tionary. It  was  accompanied  by  some  sad  accidents. 
Still  the  operation  might  have  proceeded,  and  it  probably 
would  have  proceeded,  but  that  the  river  was  densely 
thronged  by  crowded  steamers  and  boats,  and  the  mishap 
already  experienced  made  it  not  impossible  that  another 
might  occur,  and  precipitate  the  vast  unmanageable  bulk 
to  overwhelm  and  deluge  everything  within  two  or  three 
miles  of  her.  She  is  now  resting  on  the  inclined  plane, 
and  it  is  feared  that  as  that  is  constructed  on  piles,  her 
enormous  weight,  say  14,000  tons,  may  gradually  settle 
down  and  become  immovable  by  any  known  mechanical 
force.  The  second  of  December  is  given  out  as  the  day 
for  another  trial: — but  it  would  not  surprise  me  to  hear, 
that,  in  order  to  avoid  the  obvious  and  imminent  dangers 
of  a  multitudinous  collection,  distracting  and  intimidating 
those  engaged  in  managing  the  machinery,  she  had  been 
safely  launched  without  public  notice. 

Parliament  has  been  prorogued  to  the  17th  next  month, 
and  will  probably,  as  usual,  be  again  prorogued  to  the 
beginning  of  February. 


TO  MRS.  EDGE.  225 

The  United  States  frigate  Niagara,  Captain  Hudson, 
left  Plymouth  yesterday  morning,  homeward  bound. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


Uo.  160.-T0  MKS.  EDGE. 

London,  November  9,  1857. 

I  REGRET,  my  dear  Mrs.  Edge,  that  consistently  with 
truth  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  confirm  your  hope  of  our  re- 
lationship. Judging  exclusively  by  the  intelligent  and 
frank  tone  of  your  letter,  it  would  have  afiforded  me  great 
pleasure  to  do  so. 

My  father's  name  was  not  Joseph,  but  Alexander 
James:  my  own  name  is  not  George  Mills,  but  George 
Mifflin. 

My  grandfather,  somewhere  in  the  middle  of  the  last 
century,  was  a  physician  in  Edinburgh,  Scotland: — he 
married  a  wealthy  lady  of  the  Island  of  Jamaica,  and  had 
numerous  sons  and  daughters,  all  born  in  that  colony. 
His  name  was  Robert  Dallas.  The  estate  upon  which  he 
lived  and  died  was  known  as  "Dallas  Castle."  His  widow 
subsequently  married  a  Mr.  Sutherland :  and  these  two, 
in  some  way  or  other  dissipated  all  the  family  property, 
and  threw  my  grandfather's  sons  upon  their  own  energies. 
All  of  them  became  eminent,  but  none  except  one  called 
Charles  Stuart,  or  Stuart 'Charles,  accumulated  fortune. 

My  father,  after  marrying  in  Count}'  Devon,  a  daughter 
of  Major  George  Smith,  of  the  British  Army,  sought  his 
future  in  the  United  States  in  the  year  1783,  when  about 
25  3'ears  of  age.  I  was  born  in  1792  in  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania. 

This  short  narrative  shews  you  that,  although  our 
branches  of  lineage  may  have  a  common  trunk,  some- 
where in  distant  times,  they  have  extended  far  apart,  and 
it  would  be  impossible  to  trace  their  connection  beyond 
the  name. 

Of  the  name,  I  knew  there  existed,  during  the  last  fifty 
years,  in  America,  several  very  respectable  families : — but 
enquiries  have  always  ended  in  failing  to  prove  that  any 
one  of  them  was  of  the  origin  of  my  own. 

.  Very  sincerely  and  respectfully  yrs. 


226  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  161.-T0  MK.  CASS. 

London,  NoTember  10,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  worst  apprehensions  are  fast  seiz- 
ing upon  the  merchants.  The  Bank  of  England  raised 
her  interest  on  discounts  to  10  per  cent,  yesterday.  Sev- 
eral heavy  failures  have  been  announced,  among  them 
the  great  firm  of  Dennistoun,of  Glasgow;  and  others  are 
hourly  expected.  Not  a  ray  of  sunshine  breaks  upon  the 
gloom  from  any  quarter  as  yet.  Men  look  as  if  they  were 
beneath  an  impending  avalanche  and  scarcely  dare  to 
breathe.  This  applies  to  the  great  banking  houses  with- 
out exception,  whose  names  I  will  not  trust  to  paper,  but 
whose  deep  anxieties  are  manifest. 

Dr.  Peter  Parker,  our  late  Commissioner  in  China,  ar- 
rived here  last  evening,  and  has  just  paid  me  a  protracted 
visit.  Mr.  Reed,  according  to  the  doctor's  calculation, 
will  arrive  at  Hong-Kong  at  about  this  date.  He  seems 
to  regret  that  he  was  not  left,  like  his  colleague.  Dr.  Bow- 
ring,  to  aid  the  minister  whom  the  condition  of  public 
afiairs  rendered  it  expedient  to  send  out.  His  purpose  is 
to  proceed  to  the  United  States  in  about  two  weeks  and 
to  visit  Washington  without  delay. 

I  have  written  only  because  of  my  wish  to  send  you  a 
line  by  every  leading  steamer,  for  I  really  am  left  by  the 
extreme  dulness  of  the  times,  without  topics  for  letters. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  162.-T0  MK.  OASS. 

London,  November  13,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  panic  proceeds : — leaving  deeper 
vestiges  of  its  march  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  than  with 
you.  Yesterday,  the  cabinet  took  a  step  which  cannot 
fail  to  be  impressive,  for  good  or  evil,  and  which  may 
produce  serious  discord  in  the  approaching  Parliament. 
They  determined  to  throw  the  government  as  an  impedi- 
ment in  the  way  of  the  spreading  commercial  embarrass- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  227 

ment: — and  the  Globe  of  this  afternoon  contains  the  letter 
of  Lord  Pahnerston  and  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer 
addressed  to  the  Governor  and  Deputy  Governor  of  the 
Bank,  authorizing  a  violation  of  the  Charter  by  extending 
their  issues  beyond  the  limits  prescribed  by  Sir  Robert 
Peel's  great  and  approved  Act  of  1844 :  and  this,  though 
with  deprecatory  language,  at  their  discretion  !  The  min- 
istry pledge  themselves  to  ask  from  Parliament  a  bill  of 
indemnity,  to  save  the  Bank  harmless,  if  it  will  break 
through  the  fetters  of  law,  and  give  the  merchants  an  un- 
limited supply  of  its  notes  : — And  they  omit  the  slightest 
provision  calculated,  if  that  be  at  all  possible,  to  prevent 
the  depreciation  of  the  paper.  After  such  a  measure,  it 
is  quite  time  that  the  English  journals  should  pause  in 
their  prolonged  attacks  on  our  Bank  suspensions  and  their 
legislative  legalizations. 

ITot  all  yet.  An  early  meeting  of  Parliament  is  to  be 
summoned,  probably  before  the  close  of  this  month. 
Having  taken  the  irrevocable  step,  the  Premier  resolves 
to  face  the  music  at  once.  To  this  conclusion  the  govern- 
ment would  seem  to  have  been  hurried  by  two  things : — 
first,  by  the  violent  disorders  menacing  Glasgow,  on  the 
stoppage  of  the  Bank  of  that  city,  which  demanded  the  pres- 
ence of  a  military  force :  and  second,  by  the  example  of 
Louis  JSTapoleon,  who,  the  day  before,  to  wit  Wednesday  the 
12th,  came  out  in  the  Moniteur  with  a  letter  addressed  to  his 
Minister  of  Finance,  stigmatizing  the  panic  as  a  creature 
of  the  imagination,  disclaiming  any  design  to  employ 
empirical  measures,  and  counselling  simple  and  tempo- 
rary measures  of  prudence.  The  simple  measures  were 
immediately  adopted  by  the  Bank  of  France,  and  the  in- 
terest on  discounts  made  to  rise  according  to  the  length  of 
the  note  to  8,  9,  or  10  per  cent. 

The  vice  of  all  this  is  governmental  intermeddling.  It 
depreciates  the  obligation  of  law,  intimidates  trade,  and 
tampers  with  currency.  Men  struggle  boldly  and  success- 
fully, amid  commotions  incident  to  the  natural  elements 
of  their  business  : — but  if  these  are  to  be  changed  or  con- 
trolled at  the  will  of  government,  results  cease  to  depend 
on  individual  energy  and  sagacity.  When  the  fermenta- 
tion is  under  way,  abstinence  is  the  true  wisdom :  wait 
till  spontaneous,  self-creating  clarification  takes  place. 

The  last  news  from  India  has  caused  much  relief  and 


228  TO  MR.  BATES. 

exultation.  The  reeonquest  of  Delhi  and  the  complete 
success  of  Havelock  in  his  movements  on  Lucknow  are 
undoubtedly  pregnant  facts.  The  old  Mogul  King  (90 
years  of  age)  and  his  old  wife,  with  their  three  sons,  have 
been  pursued  and  captured :  the  superannuated  couple 
spared,  the  rest  executed.  Still,  the  confessed  loss  in  hard 
lighting,  especially  among  the  officers,  has  been  immense. 
Two  generals,  Mell  and  Mcholson,  among  them.  There 
is  more  disaffection  reported : — a  new  and  younger  King 
has  been  proclaimed:  the  rebels  of  Delhi  have  gone  in 
masses  to  other  places  to  maintain  and  encourage  mutiny: 
the  cholera  rages :  and  General  Wilson  has  been  'driven 
from  his  command  by  ill  health. 

I  am  informed  by  one  acquainted  with  him  and  his 
family  that  General  Havelock  has  had,  during  all  the  time 
he  has  been  pressing  so  gallantly  forward,  a  daughter 
among  the  besieged  at  Lucknow! 

The  new  ministry  in  Belgium  is  of  advanced  liberalism ; 
so,  it  is  said,  is  the  new  ministry  in  Madrid:  Rogier  and 
Mon  are  the  respective  vital  spirits.  I  look  to  see,  at  an 
early  date,  the  linger  of  Napoleon  in  both  of  these  pies, 
disturbing  the  crust  and  displacing  the  plums. 

Please  say  to  Mr.  Cobb  that  his  Commissioner  on  Inter- 
national Coinage,  Professor  Alexander,  after  a  short  dela}^, 
accompanied  me  to-day  to  the  Foreign  Office,  was  intro- 
duced to  the  Earl  of  Clarendon,  and  received  every  neces- 
sary direction  as  to  putting  himself  "ew  rapporV  with  the 
^'-  proper  functionaries'''  mentioned  in  the  Act  of  Congress. 
The  subject  occupies  many  of  the  iirst  minds  in  this  coun- 
try, and  I  think  the  time  may  come  when  the  two  govern- 
ments will  mature  it  into  practice.  At  present  ever}'-- 
thing  financial  and  commercial  is  too  dislocated  and 
disturbed  to  allow  the  necessary  attention  to  be  given  to 
the  project. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  163.-TO  ME.  BATES. 

London,  November  15,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  proposal  as  to  Christmas  is  too  kind 
and  cordial  to  be  resisted,  notwithstanding  our  conscious- 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  229 

ness  of  the  mnltitude  it  embraces.  "We  anticipate  great 
pleasure  in  conforming  precisely  to  your  programme,  and 
in  being  with  you  and  Mrs.  Bates  at  Sheen  on  the  23d  to 
the  28th  December. 

I  am  given  always  to  doubt  the  virtue  of  nullification 
of  law,  whether  it  be  executive  or  popular : — but  cases  of 
sudden  necessity  may  arise  which  excuse,  if  they  don't 
justify,  a  government  in  assuming  the  responsibility  of 
doing  it.  The  precedent  set  in  1847,  of  suspending  the 
operation  of  Sir  Robert  Peel's  Bank  Act,  was  very  seduc- 
tive at  this  crisis ;  and  the  manner  in  which  that  bold 
breach  of  positive  legal  injunction  was  treated  may  be 
fairly  regarded  as  equivalent  to  a  legislative  modification 
or  relaxation  of  the  terms  of  the  Charter.  No  ministry 
can  hereafter,  under  the  same  circumstances,  venture  to 
hold  on  to  the  law  inflexibly.  One  position,  ^Hta  lexscrip- 
ta,"  must  yield  to  another,  '■^  comimunis  error  facii  jus." 

I  hope  what  you  say  of  the  storm  here  may  be  true  also 
of  the  storm  in  the  United  States,  though  you  perceive  that 
our  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  recoiled  from  doing  what  is 
somewhat  analogous  to  Lord  Palmerston's  proceeding: — 
he  would  not  throw  the  doors  of  the  sub-treasury  vaults 
open,  in  face  of  an  Act  of  Congress,  although  extremely 
inclined  and  tempted  to  do  so.  My  letters  are  still  full  of 
sad  foreboding,  but  I  think  a  streak  of  sunshine  returning 
here  and  there  breaks  through  the  dark  cloud.  We  shall 
revive  in  sixty  days,  but  we  shall  miss  from  the  herd  many 
a  noble  animal  who  carried  veteran  and  magnificent 
antlers  but  two  months  ago. 

Pray  ofter  to  Mrs.  B our  warmest  regards,  and  be- 
lieve me  always 

Most  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  164 -TO  ME.  GILPIN. 

London,  November  IG,  1857. 

My  deae  Gilpin, — It  puzzles  me  to  find  excuses  for 
your  long  protracted  silence.  I  hear  and  sincerely  hope 
that  Mrs  G.  has  perfectly  recovered  her  health.  If  not, 
then  to  be  sure  the  puzzle  is  explained. 


230  TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

Mr.  Cobden  brought  Mr.  Bright  to  see  me  about  a  week 
ago.  The  latter  looks  the  type  of  florid  health ;  but  I 
doubt  its  entirety  and  permanency.  He,  several  times  in 
the  course  of  an  hour's  talk  (for  visits  here  are  very  pro- 
longed), put  his  hand  to  his  head  as  if  to  aid  the  process  of 
thought: — once,  perceiving  that  I  remarked  the  gesture 
with  a  slight  sympathy,  he  said  that  he  still  felt  a  remnant 
of  his  complaint  in  being  unable  to  push  vigorously  to 
concentration  the  course  of  his  ideas : — that  he  was  appre- 
hensive he  would  find  it  hard,  if  not  impossible,  to  take 
his  old  position  in  parliamentary  debate:  that  in  other 
respects  his  restoration  was  perfect.  I  told  him  that  in 
convalescence,  -the  mind,  like  the  body,  required  gradual 
exercise  ;  that  his  had  been  idle  for  nearly  two  years,  and, 
though  perfectly  sound,  was  relaxed;  and  I  exhorted  him 
not  to  postpone  exertion  to  the  House  of  Commons,  but  to 
try  himself  first  among  his  friends  after  a  public  dinner,  and 
then  at  one  or  two  political  meetings.  I  added,  that  one  of 
my  chief  inducements  in  consenting  to  come  on  this  mis- 
sion was  the  opportunity  of  hearing  Mr.  Cobden  and  him- 
self in  full  blast  on  the  free  trade  topic,  and  I  did  not  want 
to  be  wholly  disappointed.  These  gentlemen  carried  their 
Manchester  Peace  principle  to  an  extreme,  at  a  moment 
when  the  nation  was  irrevocably  committed  to  war,  and, 
as  a  necessary  consequence,  their  popularity  waned.  Mr. 
Cobden  lost  his  election  last  spring,  only  because  of  his 
constant  opposition  to  vigorous  measures  against  Russia. 
I  do  not  yet  perceive  a  prospect  of  his  regaining  his 
ground.  His  friend  is  younger,  less  dreaded  or  disliked, 
promised  not  to  carry  his  Quaker  notions  into  the  Indian 
struggle,  is  re-elected,  and  if  he  will  only  surmount,  by 
the  regimen  I  have  prescribed,  his  diseased  want  of  self- 
confidence,  must  become  the  leading  spirit  of  the  House  of 
Commons.  Of  course,  I  took  the  occasion  to  speak  of 
you,  whom  he  remembered  with  obvious  pleasure,  and  to 
place  in  his  hands  the  package  of  books  you  sent  for  him 
a  year  ago.  No  doubt  he  will  acknowledge  to  you  their 
receipt. 

The  very  last  accounts  from  India  create  extreme  anx- 
iety for  the  fate  of  Generals  Outram  and  Ilavelock  and 
their  army  about  3500  strong.  They  reached  Lucknow 
and  relieved  the  European  men  and  women  besieged  in  a 
fortress : — but  they  can't  themselves  get  out  again :  the 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  231 

masseg  of  Mussulmans  in  the  city  of  Lucknow  itself  are 
watching  an  opportunity  to  overwhelm  them  ;  the  road 
back  to  Cawnpore  is  infested  with  small  armies  of  muti- 
neers ;  Nana  Sahib,  with  thirty  or  forty  thousand  men 
and  munitions  in  abundance,  is  surrounding  them;  and  a 
month  at  least  must  elapse  before  adequate  reinforce- 
ments could  reach  them.  After  all  the  sulfering  endured 
and  gallantry  exhibited  by  Havelock  and  his  men,  their 
sudden  destruction,  by  Nana  Sahib  too,  would  be  as  se- 
vere a  blow  upon  the  heart  of  this  country  as  could  be 
struck.  It  looks  at  this  moment  to  be  almost  inevitable. 
Havelock  will  no  doubt  sustain  the  character  he  has 
achieved  by  a  most  desperate  defence :  but  the  odds  are 
too  great.  Men  argue  here  that  the  fall  of  Delhi  and  the 
capture  of  the  Mogul  King  will  dispirit  the  rebels  at  Luck- 
now  : — perhaps  so,  and  perhaps  not.  The  city  was  a  bar- 
ren conquest: — it  was  kept  with  acknowledged  courage 
and  skill  by  the  sepoys  for  months:  it  Avas  abandoned  by 
them  when  no  longer  tenable  :  and  the}'  have  escaped  to 
rally  and  continue  the  war  elsewhere  :  the  superannuated 
monarch  was  a  mere  effigy,  though  a  cherished  one,  and 
the  treatment  shewn  him,  with  the  execution  of  his  sons, 
may  possibly  produce  more  exasperation  than  fright. 
Nana  Sahib,  with  all  his  atrocities  exaggerated,  is  yet 'ad- 
mitted to  possess  talents,  bravery,  and  resources  : — he  may 
also  see  in  the  extirpation  of  the  King's  family,  an  open- 
ing for  the  establishment  of  a  new  dynasty  :  he  may  be  a 
Spartacus,  and  yet  hope  to  avoid  the  fate  of  Spartacus. 

Parliament  will  meet  in  the  first  week  in  December.  It 
is  hurried  up  by  the  government  to  pass  an  Act  of  Amnesty 
for  the  benefit  of  the  Bank,  which,  at  the  instigation  and 
request  of  the  ministry,  openly  violates  the  express  restric- 
tions of  its  Charter  in  issuing  an  unlimited  amount  of  its 
notes  and  retaining  its  coin.  There  is  precedent  for  this ; — 
in  1847 : — and  the  nullification  of  positive  law  not  only  does 
not  create  surprise,  but  seems  to  receive  unanimous  appro- 
bation. The  panic  has  made  its  own  law.  I  am  told  by  the 
first  city  merchants  that  the  "  storm  is  over,"  that  the 
breath  of  Lord  Palmerston  has  stilled  the  agitation,  and 
arrested  an  explosion  on  the  brink  of  producing  wide- 
spread ruin.  The  "Omnipotent"  Assembly,  whose  past 
decrees  are  thus  slighted,  will  register  a  new  one  with  very 
little  if  any  demur.     It  will  continue  in  session  for  a  week 


232  TO  MR.  CASS. 

or  two,  and  then  be  prorogued,  probably  to  February.  It 
will  only  take  time  to  utter  a  few  speeches  about  India, 
China,  and  perhaps  Central  America. 

The  book  of  the  day  is  Livingstone's  Africa.  Read  it. 
Don't  be  repelled,  as  I  was  on  the  point  of  being,  by  the 
first  fifty  or  sixty  pages.  You  will  come  to  curious  and 
interesting  details  of  natural  history  which  will  abundantly 
delight  you.  * 

We  all  unite,  nem.  con.,  in    sending  the  kindest  re- 


gards to  Mrs.  G. 


Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  165.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

LoNDOK,  November  17,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  meeting  of  Parliament  will  precede 
that  of  Congress  by  four  days.  It  was  prorogued  to  the 
17th  of  December,  but  the  Queen  has  by  proclamation  yes- 
terday hastened  it  a  fortnight.  Officially.,  the  object  is  "  the 
despatch  of  divers  urgent  and  important  affairs:"  generally, 
it  is  understood  to  be  the  passage  of  an  act  to  amnesty 
and  guarantee  the  Bank : — really,  it  is  for  these  purposes, 
and  specially  perhaps  to  authorize  a  loan  for  the  relief  of 
the  East  India  Company's  finances.  This  last  point  will 
be  a  sore  matter,  notwithstanding  the  military  glory  which 
is  represented  to  have  been  gained  in  the  rebellion; — for 
John  Bull  thinks  that  the  expense  of  the  struggle  should 
all  be  extracted,  by  the  East  India  Company  and  the  local 
government,  through  confiscations  and  fresh  taxes,  out  of 
the  natives,  and  not  be  wrenched  from  him. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  the  Queen  will  open  Parliament 
in  person.  And  why  ?  You  will  be  surprised  to  hear. 
The  reason  is  that  if  her  Majesty  does  open  Parliament, 
she  must,  of  necessity,  advert  to  the  gallantry  exhibited 
in  Bengal  by  the  British  generals,  and  particularize  them 
by  name.  Public  feeling  will  not  be  satisfied  with  cold 
comprehensive  praise  from  her: — and  yet  she  cannot  step 
out  of  a  dull  formality  without  stirring  the  hot  embers  of 
an  established  feud  in  the  India  service,  the  feud  between 
those  called  ^^ Queen's  men"  and  those  called  '•'•  Company's 


TO  MR.  CASS.  233 

men."  I  have  the  disclosure  of  this  covert  bnt  practical  em- 
barrassment, of  which  I  was  not  before  aware,  from  a  highly 
distinguished  and  intelligent  gentleman  in  office.  How  the 
difficulty  bears  upon  Wilson,  Lawrence,  Havelock,  ISTich- 
olson,  Mell,  and  Outram  respectively,  it  will  be  curious  to 
enquire,  and  may  be  a  key  to  explain  future  honors  or 
slights.  Thus  far  Havelock  has  borne  off  the  palm,  and 
he  is  even  compared  with  Wellington : — although  a  morn- 
ing paper,  in  view  of  his  actual  danger  in  Lucknow,  de- 
nounces his  advance  to  that  place  as  the  precipitate  mis- 
take of  the  campaign.  His  popularity  here  is  unbounded, 
and  may  extort  from  Majesty  a  F.  Marshal's  baton. 

There  are  philosophers  everywhere  who  think  them- 
selves peculiarly  competent  to  cure  all  existing  evils. 
Such  no  doubt  is  the  gentleman  who  wrote  the  accom- 
panying pamphlets  on  monetary  matters,  pamphlets  which 
he  is  anxious  to  administer,  as  a  sort  of  homoeopathic  dose, 
to  Brother  Jonathan,  in  the  convulsive  crisis  of  his  affixirs. 
He  has  begged  me  (by  the  letter  enclosed)  to  send  them 
to  the  President,  a  courtesy  to  him  which  I  cannot  pre- 
termit:— but,  as  I  am  averse  to  call  attention  from  vastly 
more  important  affairs  to  the  lucubrations  of  Mr.  John  M. 
Knott,  a  perfect  stranger,  I  must,  even,  with  a  thousand 
apologies,  transfer  the  burden  to  your  broad  shoulders. 

There  are  puffs  of  news  from  China.  Lord  Elgin  had 
greatly  benetited  his  health,  which  was  assailed  by  fever, 
by  his  voyage  to  Calcutta :  but  he  ascertained,  on  his  re- 
turn to  Hong-Kong,  that  he  would  have  to  remain  in 
Southern  China,  until  at  least  the  next  spring.  The 
blockade  had  been  pushed  up  to  Canton  itself.  Several 
skirmishes  had  occurred,  and,  in  the  main,  the  English, 
under  Commodore  Elliott,  came  oft'  second  best.  The 
French  Embassy  had  reached  Singapore.  The  Russian 
envoy  had  managed  to  communicate  with  the  Imperial 
government  at  Pekin,  and  had  then  gone  to  Shanghai 
to  wait  reception  and  presentation,  but  it  was  believed 
that  he  had  received  information  of  the  Emperor/s  un- 
willingness to  accept  his  visit.  With  the  exception  of 
Canton,  commerce  with  all  the  ports  of  China  is  as 
lively  and  tranquil  as  ever.  "How  very  odd!"  Commo- 
dore Tatnall,  who  arrived  here  a  week  ago,  will  proceed 
on  his  voyage  to  relieve  Commodore  Armstrong,  in  the 
course  of  a  few  days. 

VOL.  I. — 16 


234  TO  MR.  CASS. 

We  are  called  upon  by  the  Court  official  to  mount 
mourning  for  the  deceased  Duchess  of  JSTemours,  as  cousin 
of  her  Majesty  !  that  is,  I  believe,  she  was  the  daughter  of 
the  personage  who  first  married  the  Queen's  aunt,  and 
secondly  married  her  mother!  —  well,  according  to  the 
regulations  of  your  department,  our  suits  of  sable  are 
always  on  hand,  and  always  "full  dress," 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  166 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  Novem'ber  20,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  progress  of  commercial  disaster 
does  not  appear  to  have  been  arrested  by  the  ministerial 
intervention.  The  Bank,  to  be  sure,  lends  more  freely, 
but  the  list  of  daily  failures  gets  longer  and  longer.  Un- 
less the  grand  panacea  of  governmental  guaranty  prove 
effective  soon,  I  don't  see  what  is  to  prevent  a  general 
break-down,  attended  by  great  social  disorders,  far  worse 
than  any  we  need  fear  in  the  United  States. 

The  ambassadors  from  the  First  and  tSecond  Kings  of 
Siam,  with  their  presents  of  rich  barbaric  gold  and  jew- 
elry, were  received  by  the  Queen  (upon  the  throne !)  at 
Windsor  yesterday.  I  met  these  illustrious  mulattoes  at 
the  dinner  of  the  Lord  Mayor  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of 
Cambridge.  Wretched,  squat-faced,  inexpressive,  animal- 
looking  creatures !  in  every  possible  trait  inferior  to  our 
Indians.  Strong  and  sinewy,  with  teeth  stained  jet-black, 
hair  equally  dark  and  cropped  close,  and  tight- fitting 
gowns  of  thin  cloth  of  gold : — admirable  laborers  for  a 
Southern  cotton-field. 

Yesterday,  too,  Mr.  Brunei  made  a  second  failure  with 
the  Great  Eastern.  He  attempted  to  move  her  nearer  to 
tlie  water  and  applied  a  force  which  made  the  piles  sup- 
porting the  rams  give  and  break  without  budging  her. 
This  trial  was  a  private  one :  and  no  doubt  all  future  ones, 
until  the  huge  fabric  is  afloat,  will  be  conducted  without 
public  notice. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  235 


No.  167 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  November  24,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — Stillness  precedes  a  stir: — and  by  that 
reflection  I  account  for  the  silent  smoothness  with  which 
political  atfairs  are  gliding  to  the  meeting  of  Parliament 
on  the  3d  of  December,  and  of  the  Congress  at  Paris 
shortly  after.  Nothing  agitates  the  air  but  the  fall,  actual 
or  prophesied,  of  some  great  commercial  house,  or  the 
learned  declamation  of  an  "Oxon."  on  the  duty  of  mak- 
ing a  Christian  demonstration  against  Juggernaut  in  Ben- 
gal, so  that  future  divine  judgments  may  be  averted. 
Two  parliamentary,  or  rather  ministerial,  dinners  are  for- 
mally announced  for  the  2d  of  December : — one  by  Lord 
Granville,  the  other  by  the  Premier. 

The  Reform  party,  headed  by  Mr.  Roebuck,  think 
the  moment  propitious  for  a  fresh  movement,  and  have 
issued  a  sort  of  manifesto  which  may  be  characterized  as 
a  cowed  utterance  of  Chartism.  I  think  Mr.  Roebuck  one 
of  the  ablest,  he  is  universally  admitted  to  be  the  most 
independent,  of  the  members  of  Parhament: — but  the 
country  is,  at  this  moment,  tamed  by  two  wars,  by  the 
alarm-bell  of  the  Exchange,  and  by  the  prospect  of  popu- 
lar commotion  and  suffering  excited  by  augmented  taxa- 
tion. The  period  is  unwisely  chosen.  Although  Lord 
Palmerston  explicitly  pledged  himself  to  introduce  a  Re- 
form Bill  at  the  present  session,  no  one  expects  him  to  do 
it,  and  already  the  matter  is  treated,  in  conversation  and 
in  the  press,  as  indefinitely  postponed.  Mr.  Roebuck's  fol- 
lowers are  suificient  neither  in  number  nor  moral  weight 
to  make  head  against  the  quiet  overslawmg  current  of  the 
time. 

The  death  of  Cavaignac  was  thought  to  be  the  knell  of 
the  Freneh  Republican  party : — yet  the  factthat  Carnot  and 
Goudchaux  have  refused  to  swear  allegiance  to  the  Em- 
pire indicates  very  strongly  the  reverse.  I  am  told  that, 
owing  to  some  yet  undeveloped  cause,  the  popularity  of 
Louis  Napoleon  among  the  Parisians  is  perceptibly  waning. 
This  ma}'  be  tested  by  the  new  election  ordered. 

You  will  receive  this  at  about  the  opening  of  Congress, 
and  I  cannot  repress  an  entreaty  that  I  may  be  promptly 


236  TO  MR.  CASS. 

supplied  with  1.  the  President's  Message,  2.  the  Report  of 
Mr.  Cobb,  and  3.  the  Congressional  Dir■eeto^3^ 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  168.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  8,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Arabia  brought  me,  late  yesterday, 
your  interesting  Nos.  85,  86,  and  87.  Their  tone  implies 
a  policy  which  has  my  zealous  sympathy,  and  which  I  am 
eager  to  see  distinctly  announced  in  the  President's  Mes- 
sage. At  this  moment,  public  opinion  all  through  Eu- 
rope is  prepared  for  the  new  American  Executive's  cutting 
through  all  the  protracted  and  complicated  cobwebs  of 
controversy  which  it  has  been  the  pleasure  of  England  to 
spin  out  of  the  fruitful  womb  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer 
Treaty.  Lord  Napier's  letter  to  you  of  the  9th  October 
looks  very  like  a  deliberated  effort  to  lay  the  foundations 
of  another  series  of  batteries  for  arguments  long  drawn 
out.  Your  reply  of  the  20th  probably  created  a  flutter, 
a  suspension  of  works,  and  an  appeal  for  further  instruc- 
tions. 

If  the  Message  be  what  I  have  thought  likely  on  our 
Foreign  Relations,  Parliament  will  reassemble  (it  ad- 
journs on  Monday  the  14th)  after  the  holidays  in  a  temper 
very  difi:'erent  from  the  quiet  and  passive  one  it  now  ex- 
hibits. Not  a  word  given  to  the  United  States,  or  Cen- 
tral America,  in  the  Queen's  speech  !*  a  fact  commented 


*  Diary :  December  3, 1857. — "The  opening  of  Parliament  by  the  Queen 
in  person  this  morning  was  altogether  a  handsome  and  suggestive  cere- 
mony. Here,  in  a  vast  and  rich  hall,  was  in  fact  concentrated  the  govern- 
ment of  a  widespread  Empire: — Koyalty,  Princes,  Peers,  Nobles,  Bish- 
ops, Law-Judges,  and  Commons.  Her  Majesty  wore  a  crown  of  brilliants, 
and  jewels  sparkled  over  her  person.  Her  principal  garment  was  a  glit- 
tering skirt  of  striped  golden  stuff,  and  she  removed  from  her  shoulders 
the  weight  of  a  cloak  of  crimson  velvet  bordered  with  ermine.  She  was 
preceded  into  the  Housq  of  Lords,  from  the  corridor,  by  high  officers,  who 
bowed  to  the  yet  vacant  throne  as  they  passed  it.  She  was  handed  up 
to  the  throne  by  the  Prince  Consort.  On  her  immediate  right  stood 
Lord  Winchester,  holding  a  gold  stick  surmounted  by  a  large  red  velvet 
cap,  with  gold  tassel,  termed  the  Cap  of  Maintenance.     On  her  immediate 


TO  MR.  CASS.  237 

upon  by  the  Journal  des  Debats,  and  deemed  significant 
of  disturbances  )>ehind  the  scenes.  And  a  representative 
of  France,  Mr.  Belly,  has  proceeded  to  join  Sir  W.  G. 
Ousely,  in  order  to  realize  Lord  Clarendon's  old  declara- 
tion as  to  the  universal  bearing  of  the  Anglo-Franco  Alli- 
ance. Very  well !  There  is  nothing  so  impressive  upon 
the  majority  of  the  House  of  Commons  as  decided  lan- 
guage from  the  chief  of  our  "fierce  democracie,"  and 
Lord  Palmerston  may  find  himself  suddenly  unhorsed  by 
the  influence  of  terrified  manufacturers  already  tortured 
by  the  panic.  It  is  an  epoch  at  which  the  very  question- 
able opinions  and  interpretations  of  a  Premier  will  not  be 
sustained  by  the  popular  branch  of  Parliament  at  the 
hazard  of  reviving  the  hostile  feelings  of  the  two  coun- 
tries. 

I  went  last  night  to  both  Houses.  The  Lords  were  on 
India,  the  Commons  on  the  Bank : — but  the  benches  were 
almost  empty  while  Lord  Derby  was  speaking  in  the  one, 
and  a  Scotch  member  in  the  other.  It  is  understood  that 
the  ministry  have  their  way  on  both  questions ;  and  the 
opposition,  after  a  few  speeches,  retires  listlessly  from 
contest. 

I  hope  you  have  noticed  that  the  great  English  historian, 
like  a  wise  man  chary  of  fame  already  acquired,  has  re- 
tained his  name  and   taken  the  oaths  in  the  House  of 


left  was  Earl  Granville,  grasping  and  keeping  erect,  with  fixed  solemnity 
of  look,  the  huge  decorated  Sword  of  State.  The  Lord  Chancellor,  Cran- 
worth,  was  next  to  the  Marquess  of  Winchester,  and  held  in  his  hand  the 
Address,  which  he  subsequently  gave,  kneeling,  to  the  Que(3n,  to  be  read. 
Lord  Lansdowne  carried  a  Crown  qj)on  a  cushion.  The  Princess  Royal 
and  Princess  Mary  of  Cambridge,  seated  themselves  in  front  on  the 
"Woolsack,  with  their  faces  to  the  Queen,  their  backs  turned  necessarily  to 
the  crowd.  The  chamber  was  full  of  elegantly  dressed  ladies : — the  Peers 
present  were  few.  As  soon  as  the  obstreperous  rushing  in  of  the  disor- 
derly Commons  to  the  Bar,  headed  by  their  Speaker,  had  subsided,  the 
Address  was  read  by  the  Queen,  still  sitting,  and  was  well  read : — her 
Majesty  manifesting  a  slight  and  attractive  agitation  at  first.  There  was 
much  to  gratify  in  the  whole  performance  : — but  it  seemed  to  me  that  its 
charm  arose  from  its  being  headed  by  an  exemplary  lady  not  yet  old  enough 
to  have  lost  beauty,  grace,  and  sweetness  of  voice.  Her  husband  occu- 
pied what  might  be  regarded  as  a  secondary  throne,  on  her  left  beyond 
Lord  Granville.  The  Address  read  and  returned  to  the  Lord  Chancellor, 
the  Queen  rose  immediately,  and,  handed  by  the  Prince  Consort,  bowed 
to  the  audience,  who  all  stood  up,  and  left  by  the  door  and  corridor 
through  which  she  had  come.  The  Prince  of  Wales  was  not  present. 
Prince  William  of  Prussia  was." 


238  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Peers,  with  the  title  of  Baron  Macaulay.     If  he  choose 
it,  he  will  carry  great  weight  with  his  new  associates. 

You  have  doubtless  heard  that  we  are  in  the  middle  of 
the  JSTineteenth  Century.  What  a  mistake !  The  illus- 
trious ambassadors  from  Siam,  on  being  introduced  into 
the  presence  of  the  Queen,  actually  and  in  a  group  fell 
upon  their  faces,  crawled  on  all-fours  to  the  foot  of  the 
throne,  and  presented  her  Majesty  with  the  right  royal 
and  magnificent  present  (among  others)  of  a  spittoon  ! 
Shade  of  Basil  Hall,  and  Genius  of  Trollope  !  what  think 
ye  of  this  intrusion  by  the  representative  of  "  the  lilthy 
practices  of  Americans"  into  the  very  sanctuary  of  tran- 
scendental retinement  ?  I  wonder  if  these  eastern  savages 
are  given  to  practical  jokes,  or  have  in  their  wit  a  spice  of 
sarcasm. 

Commercial  skies  are  slowly  brightening.  The  reported 
failures  are  becoming  few  and  far  between.  The  example 
of  the  Bank  of  France  will  probably  be  soon  followed,  and 
the  Dame  of  Threadneedle  Street  begin  to  lower  her  in- 
terest on  discounts.  At  Hamburg,  however,  and  it  is 
feared  at  Copenhagen  and  Stockholm,  the  financial  as- 
phyxia threatens  universal  ruin.  How  singularly  similar 
to  the  progress  of  an  epidemical  cholera  has  the  advance 
of  this  monetary  derangement  been!  only  it  travels  in  an 
opposite  direction,  from  West  to  East. 

Mr.  Brunei  has  not  yet  got  his  Leviathan  into  her  ele- 
ment :  unless  she  rushed  down  in  the  course  of  last  night. 
One  half  of  her  journey  homewards  is  not  yet  accom- 
plished. All  things,  however,  inspire  confidence,  and 
very  soon  the  astronomers  in  the  Moon  will  rejoice  in  the 
discovery  of  a  great  spot  upon  the  Earth's  disc. 

I  ought  to  make — and  therefore  I  do  make — a  thousand 
apologies  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for  this  mixture  of  in- 
congruities : — but,  as  Monsieur  Crapaud  says,  ^^Que  voulez- 
vous  ?"" — my  notes  are  as  musical  as  I  can  nudvo  them. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  J.  M.  M.  239 


No.  169.-T0  MR.  J.  M.  M. 


London,  December  11,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  President's  Message  is  eagerly 
awaited.  Misgivings  as  to  its  tone  are  prevalent.  It  may 
rouse  an  opposition  in  Parliament  which,  disposed  to  any- 
thing rather  than  quarrel  with  America,  will  oblige  Lord 
Palmerston  to  quit  the  helm.  The  administration,  say 
rather  the  President,  has  a  glorious  opportunity  for  in- 
augurating a  grand  international  clearing-house. 

The  French  scheme  for  reviving  the  Slave  Trade,  osten- 
sibly a  mere  license  to  a  firm.  Regis  &  Co.,  to  ship  from 
Africa  large  numbers  of  negroes,  as  free  laborers,  for  the 
"West  Indies,  will  probably  be  abandoned.  Some  people 
think,  though  I  do  not,  that  the  functionaries  of  this 
government  would  have  connived  at  the  project  had  it  re- 
mained sub  rosa  : — but  the  keen-sighted  and  loud-tongued 
abolitionists  gave  the  halloo,  and  now  Lord  Clarendon, 
when  waited  upon,  gives  positive  and  impressive  assur- 
ances that  their  great  and  faithful  ally  beyond  the  Chan- 
nel will  effectually  prevent  the  mischief.  The  conception 
of  the  plan  is  a  proof  of  the  straits  to  which  they  are 
reduced,  as  to  labor,  by  their  fanatical  humanitarianism. 
Observe,  the  English  statesmen  and  editors  have  had  a 
measure  of  rationality  infused  into  their  doctrine  of  uni- 
versal emancipation  by  their  fight  with  the  Indian  se- 
poys:— for  though,  like  the  scrupulous  framers  of  our 
Constitution,  they  sink  the  word  slaves,  they  in  reality 
inflict  a  servitude  more  abject  and  galling  than  is  known 
to  our  Southern  States. 

The  House  of  Lords  will  this  afternoon  dispose  of,  by 
passing,  the  Bill  of  Indemnity  to  the  Bank  and  the  minis- 
try for  violating  its  Charter.  That  proceeding  certainly 
seemed  to  lull  the  commercial  tornado  which  threatened 
universal  break-down.  Until  the  government  cried  "  let 
go  and  hawl,"  the  vessel,  in  general  opinion,  was  upset- 
ting:— that  spell  righted  her,  and  she  has  ever  since,  on 
an  even  keel,  been  slowly  getting  into  smoother  water. 
Failures,  to  be  sure,  are  almost  daily  announced  of  houses 
connected  in  business  with  distant  continental  places, 
Hamburg,  Copenhagen,  Berlin,  Vieima,  Constantinople, 


240  TO  MR.  CASS. 

and  St,  Petersburg,  to  wliicli  the  tempest  lias  pushed  and 
where  it  is  expending  its  expiring  force.  But  the  worst 
is  over,  here  ;  as  I  fervently  hope  it  is  with  you. 
,  It  is  curious  t©  observe  how  popular  sentiment  z^*«7Z force 
its  way  in  this  country  through  all  sorts  of  aristocratic 
finesse  and  obstacles.  I  have  noticed  many  instances: — 
but  here  is  a  new  and  signal  one.  General  Havelock,  by 
a  series  of  gallant  exploits,  made  himself  the  favorite 
of  the  day,  and  the  people  called  lustily  upon  royalty 
for  his  reward.  Well,  they  first  settled  upon  him  a 
wretched  annuity  of  £100.  Pish  !  cried  John  Bull,  that 
will  never  do  !  Then,  they  made  him  a  Baronet: — Bah  ! 
grumbled  John,  that  may  do  for  Sir  William  Williams  of 
Kars,  but  here's  a  soldier  pf  a  dozen  victories  !  Then, 
the  Queen,  by  special  message,  graciously  hoped  her 
Parliament  would  vote,  and  her  Parliament  has  voted, 
£1000  per  annum  during  his  life.  Still  the  heart  of  John 
Bull  is  swelling  and  dissatisfied,  and  he  is  demanding 
something  like  what  was  done  for  Marlborough  or  Wel- 
lington— for  John  solemnly  believes  Havelock  to  have 
saved  the  British  Indian  Empire — and  he  now  insists  upon 
a  peerage  and  a  fortune  to  maintain  it.  Success  to  him  ! 
and  succeed  he  will,  if  he  but  stick  obstinately  to  his  de- 
mand. Havelock's  present  position  at  Lucknow,  however, 
renders  it  extremely  doubtful  whether  he  will  survive  to 
wear  his  honors.  He  is  beleaguered  by  70,000,  and  wants 
food;  and  though  Sir  Colin  Campbell  may  rake  together 
a  force  of  5000  to  go  to  his  assistance,  a  deep  dread  pre- 
vails that  he  will  be  too  late. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  170.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  15,  1857. 

My  dear  Sie, — Parliament  has  adjourned  to  the  4th 
of  February  next.  It  was  in  session  neaily  nine  work- 
ing days.  The  Lords  met  on  Saturday  last  the  12th, 
merely  to  receive  the  Queen's  assent  to  the  act  relieving 
the  Bank.  Little  positive  legislation  beyond  that  was 
attempted.  A  Committee  of  broad  investigation  as  to 
currency  was  reappointed :  General  Havelock  was  voted 


TO  MR.  CASS.  241 

a  pension  of  £1000  per  annum  for  life :  and  a  pretty  dis- 
tinct intimation  was  thrown  out  that  the  government 
would  be  obliged  to  go  to  the  relief  of  the  funds  of  the 
East  India  Company.  As  to  Reform,  explicitly  promised 
in  the  Queen's  speech,  the  Premier  merely  added  in  de- 
bate, "  you  must  wait  till  after  the  holidays  for  our  plan  : 
— we  have  no  notion  of  allowing  the  critics  to  broo'd  over 
it  during  the  recess."  One  thing  was  too  obvious  for 
doubt:  on  none  of  the  existing  public  measures  is  the 
opposition  capable  to  make  a  stand.  It  is  difficult  to 
imagine  a  British  ministry  more  unchecked  in  pursuing 
whatever  course  they  like,  than  thai  of  Lord  Palmerston. 
i^or  can  any  change  be  anticipated  as  the  fruit  of  some 
measure  of  domestic  .policy.  Even  a  ridiculously  small 
instalment  of  reform — a  wee  bit — will  fail  to  exasperate  a 
serious  resistance.  There  may  possibly  spring  up  a  for- 
eign question  to  disturb  this  smooth  ascendency,  but  it  is 
not  easy  to  designate  the  quarter  whence  it  can  come,  or 
to  say  how  it  will  divide  parties  when  it  occurs.  The 
practical  power  wielded  by  Lord  Palmerston  would  make 
me  anxious  lest,  to  attain  some  sinister  purpose,  it  should 
be  exerted  against  the  United  States,  but  that  I  feel  as-- 
sured  that  he  and  his  cabinet  are  too  sagacious  voluntarily 
to  run  the  risk  of  the  only  national  quarrel  which  their 
countrymen  cannot  and  will  not  uphold.  His  lordship's 
theory  of  administration  certainly  leads  him  to  keep  open 
an  issue  of  war,  as  a  vent  for  the  humors  of  John  Bull: 
and  if  he  closes  the  Indian  struggle,  as  appearances  indi- 
cate that  he  soon  will,  you  may  expect  to  see  Canton 
sacked,  and  Pekin  menaced.  But  he  must  be  very  tightly 
cornered  before  he  will  aim  at  America,  and  so  revive  the 
swarming  of  the  hosts  of  manufacturing  hornets  upon  his 
head. 

The  solicitude  about  Outram  and  Havelock,  cooped  up 
in  Lucknow  with  an  extra  train  of  women  and  children, 
continues,  although  somewhat  less  desperate  owing  to  re- 
cent accounts.  The  contending  forces  are  converging  to 
that  point,  and  the  result  of  an  assault  by  Sir  Colin  Camp- 
bell will  probably  close  the  insurrection.  He  was  near 
being  captured  on  his  way  to  take  the  command.  Travel- 
ling en  courrier  without  an  escort,  in  order  to  be  quick,  he 
pounced  suddenly  upon  a  considerable  body  of  mutineers, 
and  narrowly  escaped  by  the  fleetness  of  his  horse. 


242  TO  MR.  CASS. 

In  the  course  of  next  month  the  marriage  of  the  Prin- 
cess Rojal  is  to  attract  hither  an  immense  flight  of  crowned 
personages,  their  families,  or  representatives.  Her  Ma- 
jesty has  not  palaces  enough  to  accommodate  her  guests, 
and  is  obliged  to  engage  public  hotels  in  advance.  The 
chief  theatres  will,  in  the  same  service,  be  thrown  gratui- 
tously open  for  several  weeks.  Every  eftbrt  at  brilliant 
eclat  will  be  made.  You  probably  experienced  and  re- 
member the  effect  of  such  whirling  court  festivities  upon 
a  republican  minister. 

The  money  crisis  seems  to  subside  quite  as  fast  as  the 
monster  steamer : — both  are,  however,  still  upon  the  stocks. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  171.-10  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  22,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Message  reached  London  at  about 
5  A.M.  yesterday.  I  read  it  in  bed  and  compo8edl3\  It 
appeared,  in  pretty  large  fragments,  in  most  of  the  morn- 
ing papers.  It  is  frankly  and  distinctly  praised,  except  in 
that  portion  which  deals  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty. 
The  Times  and  the  Post  of  to-day  contain  comments;  and 
perhaps  these,  better  than  my  impressions  formed  in  so 
short  a  space  of  time,  will  enable  you  to  see  the  reception 
it  has  had  here ;  and  although  I  know  you  have  files  of 
these  papers  sent  to  you,  it  may  be  convenient  to  have  the 
slips  I  now  enclose.  By  the  interference  of  Terence's  play 
at  the  School  of  Westminster  with  the  free  agency  of  one 
of  my  guests  at  dinner  yesterday,  I  missed  the  opportunity 
of  being  told  the  sentiment  of  Lord  Clarendon,  who  had 
in  the  early  part  of  the  day  talked  fully  to  him  on  the 
subject.  I  got  my  copy  before  sunrise,  by  virtue  of  an 
arrangement  to  expedite  it  from  Liverpool  on  the  arrival 
of  the  Arabia. 

Commercial  matters  appear  to  be  improving.  They 
have  not  been  as  bad  in  France  as  either  here  or  with  us. 
They  are  still  deplorable  in  Germany;  and  some  intelligent 
merchants  anticipate  that  the  failures  in  that  quarter,  espe- 
cially the  north,  will  react  upon  France,  and  make  matters 


TO  MR.  CASS.  .  243 

worse  than  they  have  yet  been.  Consols  have  run  up  to 
within  a  shade  of  93  : — but  the  Bank  still  exacts  10  p.  c. 
interest. 

The  town  is  deserted  and  dull. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

P.  S. — The  Message  is  printed  at  full  length,  not  in 
fragments,  in  to-day's  Tbnes,  partially  disfigured  by  the 
headings  to  the  several  topics,  originally  devised  by  the 
K'ew  York  Herald. 


No.  172 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  29,  1857. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  occurs  to  me  as  possible,  that  the 
many  interesting  subjects  which  are  hourly  demanding 
your  attention  in  Washington  may  make  you  give  less 
,  welcome  than  heretofore  to  these  desultory  letters  of  mine. 
I  hope  you  will  not  hesitate,  if  so,  to  tell  me  to  relax  the 
stream. 

It  is  €]uite  apparent  that  the  two  leading  topics  for  par- 
liamentary disposition,  in  February,  will  be  representative 
Reform,  and  a  modification  of  the  government  in  India. 
The  minister  will,  after  all  and  possibly  very  unwillingly, 
be  obliged  to  offer  his  bill.  A  scheme  novel  in  its  char- 
acter has  been  recommended  to  him,  in  a  formal  Memorial, 
by  a  large  number  of  influential  persons  headed  by  the 
Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  After  the  fashion  of  think- 
ing which  prevails  here,  the  plan  has  its  plausibilities.  It 
rests  upon  the  idea  of  creating  a  new  and  distinct  constit- 
uency, to  Ije  composed  of  those  who  have  been  ^'- liberally 
educated;^' — that  is,  according  to  English  common  par- 
lance, of  the  professions — of  lawyers,  physicians,  and  par- 
sons. These,  throughout  the  Empire,  are  designed  to  be 
jumbled  into  a  separate  mass,  and  to  send  their  represent- 
atives from  specified  localities  to  the  House  of  Commons. 
It  is  calculated  that  this  constituency  will  furnish  about 
seventy  members,  contributed  in  prett}'  nearly  equal  pro- 
portions by  the  Bar,  the  Faculty,  and  the  Clergy.  It  is 
class  representation,  intended  and  avowed,  according  to 
some  narrower  examples  already  existing.     Much  atten- 


244  .  TO  MR.  CASS. 

tion  has  been  awakened  to  it,  and  it  may  not  be  entirely 
excluded  from  the  ministerial  project.  In  discussing  it 
the  other  day,  at  a  dinner  table,  before  some  Judges  and 
Members  of  the  House,  I  took  the  liberty  to  characterize 
it  as  a  sop  thrown  to  Cerberus,  oiled  with  conservatism, 
which,  instead  of  satisfying,  would  only  sharpen  appetite  : 
and  that,  after  all,  if  they  wanted  to  do  justice  to  their 
fellow-men,  nothing  was  so  conservative  as  universal  suf- 
frage, the  very  opposite  of  such  class  preferences. 

You  notice  that  Baron  Brunow  returns  to  this  Court, 
which  he  left  when  the  Crimean  war  broke  out.  I  hear 
through  a  diplomatic  colleague  that  Count  Kreptowitch, 
owing  to  some  unexplained  cause,  went  back  to  St.  Pe- 
tersburg somewhat  under  a  cloud.     Sed,  de  hoc  quxre? 

Count  and  Countess  Platen,  who  succeed,  from  Swe- 
den, Baron  and  Baroness  Hochschild  (the  former  dead), 
are  plain,  unpretending,  and  attractive  persons.  The 
Count  told  me  he  had  begun  life  in  the  British  navy, 
had  been  in  the  Swedish  ministry,  but  had  retired  many 
years  ago  from  public  affairs.  He  is  owner  of  a  large  for- 
tune. They  knew  intimately  m}^  old  friend  Mr.  Christo- 
pher Hughes,  whose  daughter  married  Senator  Kennedy 
of  Maryland. 

The  Spaniard,  Bravo,  is  off  again  to  Madrid.  He  left 
here  on  the  21st  instant.  The  very  nice  young  gentle- 
man whom  he  leaves  Charg^  d' Atftiires,  Conti,  says  that  the 
minister  is  a  leading  member  of  the  Spanish  legislature, 
and  that  his  presence  in  the  Body  is  occasionally  indispen- 
sable. Nothing  need  be  apprehended  against  Mexico. 
The  movement  of  General  Walker  may  possibly  revive  a 
little  alarmed  bustle — for  Spain  regards  all  filibustering  as 
ultimately  destined  against  Cuba — but  the  President's 
Message  effectually  secures  her  good  behavior. 

The  vestiges  of  the  commercial  panic  are  fast  disappear- 
ing. The  Bank  suddenly  dropped  her  rate  of  interest 
from  10  to  8,  and  will  shortly  lower  to  6.  She  does  but 
conform  to  the  street  rate.  The  storm  is,  however,  growl- 
ing as  it  retreats  on  the  Continent.  Everybody  eulogizes 
Mr.  Cobb's  report,  and  the  tendency  to  American  invest- 
ments will  before  long  be  greater  than  ever. 

Sir  Colin  Campbell  has  done  his  job  handsomely,  with 
only  such  an  amount  of  wound  as  would  attest  his  per- 
sonal activity  and  exposure.     The  details  of  his  relieving 


TO  MR.  MARKOE.  245 

Liickuow  have  not  yet  arrived.  He  is  conjectured  to  have 
returned  to  Cawnpore,  there  to  organize  an  overpowering 
force  for  the  subjection  of  the  kingdom  of  Oude. 

Can  it  he  possible  that  while  the  case  of  the  "Panchita" 
was  being  disclaimed  and  apologized  for,  the  same  thiug 
was  going  on  with  dozens  of  our  vessels  and  flags  ? 

Many  happy  returns  of  the  season. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  173.-TO  ME.  MARKOE. 

LoNDOX,  January  5,  1858. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Your  letters  are  full  of  interest  to 
me,  of  one  sort  or  another,  and  I  thank  you  heartily  for 
them. 

General  Cass  has  been,  I  honestly  fear,  palled  by  the 
ceaseless  stream  of  those  I  have  written  to  him.  During 
the  active  labors  thrown  upon  him  by  the  session  of  Con- 
gress, he  can  hardly  have  leisure  to  break  their  seals. 
Miscellaneous  and  transient  as  their  topics  are,  the  desire 
to  keep  them  up  as  long  as  they  can  prove,  in  the  remotest 
degree,  useful  or  agreeable,  has  kept  me  watchful  of  all 
the  minor  incidents  of  the  day,  and  constantly  on  the  qm 
vive.  They  cost  me  a  great  deal  more  in  attention  and 
thought,  than  the  routine  of  otficial  despatches  : — and  yet, 
I  have  a  misgiving  lest  they  oppress  the  General  and  be 
really  valueless.  Tell  me  the  bald  truth,  without  a 
mincing  Avord. 

I  think  I  drew  your  curiosity  before  I  left  home  to 
"Christie  Johnstone,"  one  of  Reade's  lirst  novels.  Well, 
now  get  his  last,  "White  Lies."  It  is  written  with  the 
same  boldness  of  conscious  power,  is  thoroughly  and  de- 
signedly French,*  and  has  a  noble  tone  of  domestic  virtue 
and  of  moral.  » 

Tell  M.  that  the  general  inclination  here  is  to  disbelieve 
in  the  Leviathan.  Another  failure  yesterday  almost  ex- 
tinguishes hope; — but  it  arose  from  an  outside  piece  of 
carelessness :  a  bark  ran  into  and  disturbed  one  of  the 
barges  essential  to  the  operation  :  and  so  /  keep  a  stiff 
upper  lip  of  confidence  in  ultimate  success. 

Always  sincerely  yrs. 


246  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  174.-T0  ME.  CASS. 


London,  January  8,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Yesterday's  telegram  of  Indian  news 
announces  the  death  of  General  Havelock  b}^  dysentery,  a 
few  days  after  his  leaving  Lncknow,  and  the  defeat  of 
General  Wyndham  near  Cawnpore  by  the  Gwalior  contin- 
gent of  sepoys.  This  last  force  of  mutineers  was,  about 
ten  days  subsequentl}^  attacked  and  routed  by  Sir  Colin 
Campbell.  It  is  difficult  to  understand  the  defeat  of 
AVyndham  :  but  its  effect  must  be  greatly  to  reanimate 
and  encourage  the  rebels.  Explanatory  details  will  not 
reach  here  for  a  week  or  ten  days. 

The  necessity  of  Parliament's  authorizing  the  East  India 
Company  to  effect  a  loan  in  England  of  about  £8,000,000, 
seems  generally  conceded.  It  will  probably  precede,  and 
not  embarrass,  the  fundamental  change  contemplated  in 
the  mode  of  governing  "the  Eastern  Conquest."  That 
change  will  mainly  consist  in  bringing  the  political  sover- 
eignty of  the  Empire,  passing  by  the  "  Company,"  to  bear, 
in  name  and  in  reality,  upon  all  Hindostan  as  a  national 
conquest :  in  founding  a  new  ministerial  department  ex- 
clusively devoted  to  the  supervision  and  control  of  that 
immense  region :  and  in  fact,  at  the  expiration  of  more 
than  sixty  years,  to  take  the  defeated  scheme  of  Mr.  Fox, 
and  abandon  for  it  the  disproved  one  of  Mr.  Pitt.  This 
important  topic  of  legislation  will  go  far  to  elbow  out  of 
the  coming  session  every  other,  and  may  help  especially 
in  still  farther  putting  off  definitive  action  on  Parliament- 
ary Reform. 

I  can't  avoid  thinking  that  the  present  moment  is  pecu- 
liarly favorable  for  relieving  our  country  from  so  much  of 
the  Ashburton  Treaty  as  calls  for  the  constant  presence  of 
an  American  squadron  on  the  "Western , Coast  of  Africa. 
1.  The  plan  is,  confessedly  on  all  sides,  a  failure.  2.  The 
wliole  system  of  British  emancipation  is  combated.  3. 
The  demand  for  black  labor  in  the  West  Indies  is  loud 
and  imperative.  4.  France  is  obviously  reluctant  to  yield 
up  her  cunningly  devised  method  of  reviving  the  trade  by 
seeming  to  pay  wages  to  ignorant  brutes  eager  to  exchange 
the  actual  servitude  under  their  barbarous  chiefs  for  the 


TO   MR.  CASS.  247 

prospective  and  ameliorated  one  under  white  masters. 
6.  Is  it  not  an  "entangling  alliance,"  of  a  nature  to  make 
us,  ostensibly  in  pursuit  of  a  common  object,  always  play 
a  secondary  and  equivocal  part?  6.  The  press  here,  so 
long  and  so  energetic  in  the  negro  policy,  is  backing 
before  the  logic  of  experiments  and  facts; — not  a  little 
perhaps  affected  by  the  consciousness  of  a  glaring  incon- 
sistency in  the  two  crusades,  one  against  African  slavery, 
the  other  for  Hindoo  slavery,  both  black! 

Two  great  institutions,  the  Bank  and  the  Leviathan,  are 
nearing  smooth  water.  The  former  lowered  her  interest 
to  6  p.  c.  yesterday ;  and  the  latter  has  become  so  tract- 
able that  she  has  gone  on  her  ways  rejoicing  at  the  pro- 
digious velocity  of  eighteen  feet  in  forty-eight  hours. 
Eheu !  These  monsters,  nevertheless,  are  very  ditferently 
actuated.     One  shuns,  the  other  seeks,  liquidation  ! 

A  German  paper  suggests  the  probability  that  the 
Prince  of  Prussia,  now  vested  with  the  powers  of  Regent, 
will,  on  the  death  of  the  deranged  King,  carry  into  effect 
an  often  declared  purpose  of  abdication  : — so  that  the 
Princess  Royal  of  England,  having  married  his  son,  may 
first  put  her  foot  in  Berlin  as  Queen  of  Prussia. 

Our  steam  communication  is  becoming  less  frequent, 
irregular,  and  uncertain. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


'to" 


-     Fo.  175 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  January  15,  18-58. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Times  of  this  morning  contains  a 
telegram  from  Paris,  dated  at  10  o'clock  last  night,  an- 
nouncing that  the  Emperor  had  been  shot  at  as  he  was  en- 
tering the  Opera  House.  Some  few  features  of  personal 
display  and  of  popular  sympathy  are  stated,  but  we  await 
the  details.  You  ma}-  have  noticed  that,  during  this 
lively  season  of  the  year,  his  Majesty  has,  with  much 
ostentation,  seemed  to  give  himself  confidently  to  his  sub- 
jects, to  walk  about  the  streets  in  plain  dress  and  without 
attendants,  and  to  talk  occasionally  with  a  lively  '■'•  boati- 
quiere."     This  was  done,  I  think,  twice,  and  duly  noted  in 


248  TO  MR.  CASS. 

the  newspapers.  Whether  the  vigilant  agents  of  the  po- 
lice, as  at  Osborne,  encircled  the  Imperial  person  and  gave 
him  the  ease  of  perfect  secnrit}',  no  one  knows.  Suddenly, 
in  the  darkness  of  night,  and  without  being  touched,  he 
is  fired  at:  what  next?  All  history  tells  how  such  inci- 
dents are  used,  to  avoid  an  impending  danger : — how  can 
a  generous  people  allow  a  chief  who  shews  such  free  and 
confiding  trust  in  them,  to  be  victimized  by  conspirators 
and  assassins?  So,  then,  body  guards,  spies,  and  the 
army  !  Besides,  is  it  not  well  to  divert  men's  thoughts, 
in  the  profound  tranquillity  of  politics  which  now  prevails, 
by  initiating  a  fresh  series  of  arrests  and  of  '■'■  causes  cele- 
hres"?  The  worst  interpretation  which  can  be  put  upon 
the  event,  is  precisely  that  which  best  harmonizes  with  the 
character  of  its  principal  personage. 

The  Bank  of  England,  yesterday  afternoon,  lowered  her 
rate  of  discount  to  5  per  cent.,  and  thus  I  think  has  dis- 
charged the  farewell  volley  over  the  grave  of  the  departed 
panic.  She  may  reduce  still  farther: — but  that  will  be 
owing  to  the  plethoric  fulness  of  her  vaults. 

Walker's  capture  by  Paulding,  and  his  subsequent  al- 
leged enlargement,  are  variously  commented  upon.  Lord 
Palmerston's  organ  rails  like  a  very  drab.  Generally, 
however,  the  arrest  is  regarded  as  a  lucky  thing,  though 
accompanied  by  a  violation  of  a  foreign  territorial  juris- 
diction. ISTicaragua  is  clearly  the  only  authority  oflended 
and  entitled  to  complain,  but  will  she  be  absurd  enough 
for  that  ?  In  converting  into  pirates  those  who  offend  our 
neutrality  laws,  and  so  making  them  like  slave-traders 
seizable  under  the  statute  anywhere,  it  would  seem  to  me 
that  the  Commodore  has  not  manifested  the  discrimina- 
tion of  a  criminal  lawyer.  Perhaps  he  remembered  Por- 
ter's pursuit  of  pirates  to  Foxardo,  and  Jackson's  follow- 
ing the  Indians  across  the  boundary  into  Florida : — if  so, 
I  am  afraid  he  has  confused  extremely  dissimilar  cases. 
My  curiosity  is  up  to  know  exactly  what  you  propose  to 
do  with  this  little  complication.  Perhaps,  having  the 
breaker  of  the  law  actually  in  your  power,  you  will  send 
him  to  a  jury,  and  then  appease  Nicaragua  by  disclaiming 
the  act  of  taking  him  on  her  soil.  If  you  don't  deal  with 
him,  his  security  in  Kew  Orleans  will  probably  hasten  to 
take  him  on  a  bail-piece. 

Col.  P.  of  Virginia,  who  tells  me  that  he  has  succeeded 


TO  MR.  CASS.  249 

in  effecting  an  arrangement  with  a  French  Railway  Com- 
pany, and  Mr.  John  AI.  B.,  who  has  been  visiting  Russia, 
are  both  here  on  their  way  homeward. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  176.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  January  21,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  was  not  far  out  of  the  way  when,  in 
my  last,  some  of  the  philosophy  of  history  was  hastily  ap- 
plied to  the  recent  escape  of  Louis  Napoleon  from  assassi- 
nation. He  has  hurried  onward,  while  the  explosions  ot 
the  bombs  were  still  echoing,  to  destroy  every  vestige  of 
freedom.  His  address  to  the  legislative  body,  written 
with  uncommon  ability  and  beauty,  is  simply  a  declara- 
tion of  absolute  despotism  in  maintenance  of  his  dynasty. 
Repression  must  be  the  order  of  the  day,  to  silence  oppo- 
sition and  establish  safety : — national  prosperity  can  only 
be  permanent  when  all  resistance  to  him,  as  '■''the just,''  is 
extinguished.  Already,  two  journals,  Le  Speciateur,  and 
Revue  de  Paris,  are  suppressed.  The  Ordinances  of  Charles 
X.  were  nothing  to  this : — and  yet  all  Paris,  under  the  ex- 
citement of  an  abortive  conspiracy,  is  showering  upon  him 
enthusiastic  congratulations  as  the  protected  of  Provi- 
dence, and  assurances  of  devoted  allegiance !  How  far 
this  country  connives  at  this  "conspiracy"  to  rebuild  the 
edifice  of  arbitrary  power,  it  is  not  difiicult  to  perceive. 
Telegraphic  messages  of  sympathy  stream  between  the 
Tuileries  and  St.  James:  and  in  all  the  court  circles, 
and  special  court  papers,  the  moment  and  the  man  are 
avowed  to  be  propitious  for  chaining  down  the  monster 
democracy.  ^'■Laissez  alkr  T'  While  the  army  remains  at 
his  beck,  he  can  go  on :  but  let  that  falter  for  an  instant, 
and  France  will  spring  up  more  anti-monarchical  than  in 
1789.  The  faster  he  goes,  the  sooner  will  return  the  dawn 
of  liberty. 

The  vehemence  with  which  the  Parisian  orators  and  ed- 
itors demand  that  England  shall  cease  to  be  the  sanctuary 
for  refugee  contrivers  of  revolution,  may  lead  to  import- 
ant consequences.  The  cabinet  is  unprepared  for  a  de- 
VOL,  1.— 17 


250  TO  MR,  CASS, 

cided  stand  either  way.  The  impression  is  that  the  topic 
has  created  internal  dissension,  and  that  the  Premier  is 
disposed  to  measures  which  will  enable  the  government 
to  order  away  whomsoever  the  French  Emperor  may  de- 
sire to  be  so  treated : — but  he  is  alone  in  that  opinion. 
This  subject  is  connected  in  common  conversation  with 
another  which  is  supposed  also  to  threaten  the  "  entente  cor- 
diale,"  and  that  is,  JSTapoleon's  private  determination  to  ad- 
here, for  the  benefit  of  Guadaloupe  and  Martinique,  to 
the  policy  of  the  Regis  contract.  He  is  said  to  insist  that 
it  involves  no  violation  of  treaty,  and  that  the  interest  of 
France  demands  a  supply  of  black  labor  for  her  West  In- 
dian islands.  The  other  night  at  a  state  ball,  the  Hanove- 
rian expressed  himself  as  anxious  and  apprehensive  that 
"  these  contrarieties  would  make  them  very  angry  at  St. 
Cloud!"  To  avert  such  an  appalling  danger,  we  shall  prob- 
ably witness  all  sorts  of  propitiatory  attempts  and  speeches 
in  the  Parliament,  which  reassembles  on  3d  proximo. 

We  have  a  new  member  of  the  corps,  in  the  person  of 
Mons.  Van  Dockum,  who  succeeds  the  President's  ardent 
friend  General  Oxholm,  as  minister  from  Denmark.  The 
subject  which  engrosses  that  kingdom,  and  may  involve  a 
war,  is  the  controversy  with  the  Duchies  of  Holstein  and 
Lauenburg.     The  army  is  being  increased. 

Spain  has  had  another  spasm  or  "crisis."  Armeroand 
Mon  have  thrown  up,  in  view  of  their  defeat  in  the  elec- 
tion of  a  President  of  the  Cortes,  and  we  have,  for  per- 
haps a  brief  spell,  an  Isturitz  ministry.  The  old  mother 
Queen  Christina  is  still  anxious  to  augment  the  value  of 
her  large  investments  in  Cuba,  and  her  Court  influence 
at  Madrid  is  perhaps  greater  while  she  is  absent.  Your 
plan  of  communicating  to  our  foreign  legations  the  outline 
of  what  is  designed  and  doing  at  each  Court,  would  have 
told  me  your  intentions  as  to  the  ultimately  inevitable 
island.  Of  course  I  am  scrupulous  of  touching,  without 
some  sort  of  authority  to  do  so,  an}^  diplomatic  purpose 
outside  of  Great  Britain.  But  might  I  not  lubricate  a 
little  wheel  or  two  in  casual  conversation  ?  As  I  under- 
stand it,  the  mountain  which  impedes  our  progress  and 
through  which  we  have  to  tunnel  with  care  is  the  hurt 
feeling  of  national  and  really  false  pride.  Such  an  obstacle 
may  prove  impenetrable  and  insurmountable  ;  but,  all  cir- 
cumstances considered,  I  doubt  whether  you  can  have  a 


TO  MR.  CASS.  251 

fitter  moment  than  the  present  for  nndertaking  it.  The 
ruffled  sense  of  honor  is  soothed  by  the  sentiments  of  the 
Message  on  filibustering,  while  it  is  by  no  means  easy  for 
the  pinched  and  disordered  treasury  of  Spain  to  meet  the 
amount  of  our  just  reclamations.  There  is,  too,  just  now, 
among. so//^e  who  could  aid  your  purpose,  an  opinion  which, 
thougii  adverse  to  slavery  in  general,  deems  it  to  be  less 
reprehensible  under  the  laws  and  morals  of  the  United 
States  than  elsewhere^  and  would  feel  rather  philanthropic- 
ally  employed  than  otherwise  in  being  accessary  to  its 
transfer  from  Spain  to  us. 

The  Almanach  cle  Gotha  is  enjoying  its  triumph  in 
London.  The  hard  names,  complicated  pedigrees,  and 
endless  titles  of  German  royalty,  are  exercising  the  oldest 
and  best  of  us.  The  palace  swarms  with  the  kindred  of  the 
Queen,  actual  and  contemplated,  for  the  wedding  festivi- 
ties : — and  I  must  frankly  own  that  these  continental  for- 
eigners, both  male  and  female,  are  very  conspicuous  for 
reiinement  of  manners,  delicacy  of  look,  and  absence  of 
afiectation. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  177 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  January  26,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  is  difficult  while  in  tlie  rapids  o^  wed- 
ding festivities^'^  to  stop  and  gather  sober  thoughts  and  facts 

*  Diary:  January  26,  1858. — "Queen  Victoria's  eldest  daughter,  Vic- 
toria Adelaide,  Avas  yesterday  married  to  Frederick  William,  the  Prince 
Eoyal  of  Prussia.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  the  Chapel  Koyal  at  St. 
James'  Palace,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  comparatively  small  number 
of  persons.  The  diplomatic  corps  were  provided  with  seats  as  advan- 
tageous and  comfortable  as  the  building  afforded,  in  the  gallery  facing 
the  altar.  The  Archbishop  of  Canterbury  and  the  Bishop  of  London  per- 
formed the  service  : — the  Bishop  of  Oxford  and  another  being  in  the  back- 
ground, on  the  ^  haut pas.'  About  three  hundred  people  in  all  witnessed 
the  proceeding,  which  was  as  brilliant  and  effective  as  such  a  spectacle 
could  possibly  be.  All  the  appropriate  roj'alties,  appropriately  disposed, 
and  making  appropriate  movements  at  appropriate  moments,  executed 
their  re:?^ective  parts  in  the  interesting  show  to  the  general  satisfaction. 
The  a})pearance  of  the  Queen,  surrounded  by  her  brood  of  children  and 
seemingly  flurried  by  natural  excitement,  inspired  the  kindest  sympa- 


252  TO  MR.  CASS, 

for  a  Secretary  of  State.  In  truth,  since  I  wrote  hy  the 
Canada  on  the  23d  instant,  nothing  of  political  bearing 
has  occurred  or,  at  least,  caught  my  attention.  I  have,  to 
be  sure,  a  few  items  for  a  formal  despatch,  but  the}^  are  in- 
complete, and  I  shall  not  trouble  you  with  them  until  by 
doing  so  I  am  able  to  dispose  of  them  finally.  They  are 
quite  unimportant. 

The  President  is  doubtless  well  acquainted  with  Lord 
Overstone,  formerly  Samuel  Jones  Lloyd,  created  peer  in 
1850.  He  is,  as  I  conceive,  the  highest  financial  authorit}^, 
theoretically  and  practically,  now  living  in  England.  At 
the  state  ball,  a  few  nights  ago,  I  expressed  to  him  the 
gratification  I  had  received  in  reading  in  the  Edinhurgh 
JRevieiD  of  the  present  month  some  comments  upon  his 
monetary  and  banking  papers.  He  immediately  insisted 
upon  sending  me  his  two  volumes  published  last  year. 
They  came  to-day,  accompanied  by  the  note  of  which  the 
enclosed  is  a  copy.  I  enclose  it  because  of  its  reference 
to  the  President's  Message  and  Secretary  Cobb's  Report, 
as  the  opinion  of  so  competent  and  fair  a  judge  cannot 
but  have  its  interest  to  those  gentlemen. 

The  diplomatic  illuminations  of  last  night  were  exceed- 
ingly dazzling.  That  with  which  your  representative  con- 
tented himself  was  a  simple  and  brilliant  star. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


thy: — the  bridegroom's  gallant  and  graceful  kissing  of  the  ring  as  he 
put  it  in  the  hand  of  the  Archbishop: — the  beautiful  group  of  eight 
bridesmaids  uniformly  dressed  in  white,  with  their  hair  encircled  by  a 
wreath  of  pink  roses:  the  'abandon'  of  the  embraces  and  felicitations 
among  the  newly  created  kindred  after  the  marriage  was  finished  : — the 
joyous  aspect  of  the  couple  as  they  left  the  chapel  ^man  and  ivife:' — the 
rich  and  rcgvilated  music :  the  gorgeousness  of  the  toilettes : — all  these 
striking  features  combined  to  invest  the  first  wedding  in  the  family  of 
Victoria  and  Albert  with  a  charm  I  had  not  expected.  We  went  to  it  at 
9|  A.M.,  and  were  at  home  again  at  1^  p.m.  At  10  at  night  a  monster 
concert  in  the  great  ball-room  of  Buckingham  Palace." 


TO  LORD   OVERSTONE.  258 


No.  178 -TO  LOED  OYEKSTONE. 

London,  January  27,  1858. 

My  dear  Lord  Overstone, — Allow  me  to  thank  you 
for  the  very  welcome  present  you  sent  me  yesterday  of 
the  two  volumes  of  your  excellent  tracts  on  metallic  and 
paper  currency.  They  are  a  mine  of  thought,  experience, 
and  logic,  whence  I  propose  to  draw  much  instruction  and 
conviction. 

The  monetary  science  has  a  wide  field  to  explore  and 
watch  in  the  United  States.  Although  the  Federal  govern- 
ment has,  by  the  Constitution,  the  exclusive  power  to  coin 
money,  regulate  the  value  thereof  and  of  foreign  coin  and 
fix  the  standard  of  weights  and  measures,  and  although 
the  respective  States  are  expressly  prohibited  from  emit- 
ting bills  of  credit  or  making  anything  but  gold  and  silver 
coin  a  tender  in  payment  of  debts: — yet  by  an  early  ju- 
dicial construction  given  to  these  provisions,  the  right  of 
each  State  to  create  banks  of  issue  and  discount,  and  to 
manage  its  own  currency,  was  recognized.  This  "State 
Right"  decision,  though  often  argumentatively  contro- 
verted and  deplored,  has,  for  half  a  century,  continued 
unreversed,  and  I  fear  must  be  deemed  irreversible. 
Hence  the  control  and  operations  of  the  currency  are, 
practically,  not  in  the  single  general  government,  but 
in  the  local  legislatures,  who  are  of  various  intelligence 
and  , motive,  and  who  have  deluged  the  country  with 
separate  floods  of  paper  from  more  than  twelve  hun- 
dred banks.  I  mention  this  in  order  to  shew  you  how 
deeply  interesting  to  the  statesmen  of  America  such  pro- 
ductions as  your  Tracts  must  be;  and  at  the  same  time  to 
intimate  how  really  powerless  and  irresponsible  our  Presi- 
dent and  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  are,  notwithstanding 
the  soundness  of  their  views. 

This  latter  gentleman  will,  I  am  quite  sure,  be  highly 
gratified  should  you  determine  to  send  him  a  cop}^  of  the 
Tracts;  and  it  will  give  me  much  pleasure  to  forward 
them,  with  a  note  from  you,  in  the  despatch  bag  of  this 
legation. 

Reiterating  my  iicknowledgments  for  your  kindness,  I 
have  the  honor  to  be,  * 

My  lord,  yours  faithfully. 


254  TO  MR.  J.  R.  McCULLOCH. 


No.  179.-T0  MR.  J.  E.  McOULLOOH. 

London,  February  4,  1858. 

Dear  Sir, — Allow  me  to  express  the  very  great  pleasure 
you  conferred  by  sending  me  a  copy  of  the  Treatise  on 
Money  and  Banks.*  It  is  now  man}^  years  since  a  work 
on  political  economy  first  introduced  me  (if  I  am  not  mis- 
taken) to  a  name  which  has  been  held  thenceforward  in 
high  estimation. 

I  am  happy  to  find  that  the  sound  views  on  Banking 
contained  in  the  President's  first  Message  to  Congress 
have  your  sanction.  They  are  undoubtedly  those  main- 
tained by  experienced  and  enlightened  statesmen  through- 
out the  United  States.  But,  in  carrying  them  out,  we  are 
encountered  by  difficulties  such  as,  in  a  different  system 
of  government  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  you  can  but 
partially  appreciate.  The  constitutional  power  to  create 
a  national  bank  is  denied  to  the  Federal  legislature:  — 
while,  within  their  respective  limits,  the  separate  States 
charter  money  corporations,  privileged  to  issue  and  dis- 
count ad  libitara.  Hence  the  channels  of  circulation  are 
crammed  with  paper  which  loses  nearly  all  value  the  in- 
stant any  derangement  of  business  creates  distrust.  Un- 
der such  circumstances,  the  Federal  authority  is  powerless 
over  the  currency,  except  so  far  as,  within  its  own  spheres 
of  collection  and  expenditure,  it  maintains  the  solid  supe- 
riority of  its  gold  and  silver  coin.  Something  is  achieved 
by  keeping  the  government  at  Washington  "a  hard  money 
government:" — and  yet,  until  in  the  several  States  a  reform 
of  ideas  on  banking  be  thoroughly  effected,  the  country 
in  all  its  departments  of  tuade  and  labor  must  continue 
liable  to  the  shocks  and  mischiefs  of  redundant  and  incon- 
vertible currency.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  correct  per- 
verted theories  as  they  exist  or  arise  at  the  thirty-one 
birthplaces  of  more  than  twelve  hundred  banks : — but  I 
trust  that  even  this  is  not  impossible*  under  the  steady 
inculcations  of  our  executive  state  papers,  and  of  such 
authoritative  treatises  as  that  with  which  you  have  hon- 
ored me. 

Repeating  my  sincere  thanks, 

I  am  with  the  highest  respect  yrs. 
• 

*  Treatise  afterwards  printed  in  the  Encyclopxdia  Britannica. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  255 


No.  180.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

London,  February  5,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  are  two  volumes  in  the  Bag  of  to- 
day for  Mr.  C .     They  are  the  "  unpublished  "  (that  is, 

printed  for  private  circulation  only)  tracts  of  Lord  Over- 
stone  on  Currency,  collected  by  the  political  economist,  Mr. 
J.  R.  McCulloch.  Of  these  papers,  an  article  in  the  January 
number  of  the  Edinburgh  JReview  says,  "As  literary  compo- 
sitions, they  are  master-pieces : — as  contributions  to  mone- 
tary science,  they  rank  with  the  congenial  and  analogous 
productions  of  Adam  Smith,  Horner,  and  Ricardo."  "As 
regards  the  investigation  of  questions  peculiarly  relating 
to  tlie  regulation  of  the  circulation,  and  to  the  theory  of 
Banking,  Lord  Overstone  is  in  some  respects  superior 
to  his  illustrious  predecessors."  The  author  has  been 
extremely  pleased  with  the  financial  doctrines  of  the  Presi- 
dent's Message,  and  with  their  elaboration  in  the  Report  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Treasury.  Hence,  as  a  mark  of  high 
respect,  he  has  begged  me  to  be  the  medium  of  conveying 
this  compilation. 

The  two  houses  of  Parliament  had  a  reasonably  short 
session  yesterday,  and  the  leaders  of  the  opposition,  Messrs. 
Derby  and  Disraeli,  made  their  customary  opening  procla- 
mations. By  the  reply  they  received,  it  is  obvious  that, 
under  the  pretext  of  only  doing  what  is  just,  the  ministry 
is  prepared  with  a  bill  on  the  Refugee  question  by  which 
to  deprecate  the  wrath  of  the  new  Csesar  and  his  menac- 
ing legions.  On  this  delicate  point,  the  state  of  excite- 
ment throughout  the  country, in  the  press  and  among  the 
people,  has  been  such  that  the  course  proposed  will  be  as 
severe  a  blow  upon  the  pride  and  pretension  of  John  Bull 
as  he  has  ever  experienced.  Disguise  the  concession  as 
they  may,  it  will  be  ever  adjudged  an  undignified  and 
frightened  retreat  from  the  very  citadel  of  their  own  most 
boasted  laws,  before  the  threats  of  Louis  ISTapoleon.  See, 
how  just  after  vaunting  their  prowess  in  repelling,  on  be- 
half of  Europe,  the  approaches  of  the  northern  Colossus 
of  Absolutism,  they  connive  at  and  cower  to  a  fiercer  and 
more  proscriptive  military  tyranny  in  their  ally ! 

The  active  measures  of  repression  and  precaution  taken 
by  Bonaparte  are  generally  construed  to  betray  great  alarm 


256  TO  MR.  CASS. 

founded  upon  the  knowledge  of  some  facts  not  yet  pub- 
licly known  as  to  the  extent  and  resources  of  the  con- 
spiracy against  his  throne.  He  has  gone  farther  than  can 
be  otherwise  explained :  as,  for  instance,  in  not  merely 
dividing  France  into  five  military  districts  with  a  Mar- 
shal resident  in  each,  but  chiefly  in  authorizing  each  of 
these  otiicers.  on  any  supposed  emergency,  to  act  with  his 
whole  force  without  waiting  the  orders  of  the  Emperor. 

The  wars  in  India  and  China  are  exacting  reinforce- 
ments, and  great  exertions  are  being  made  to  get  recruits. 
It  is  understood,  however,  that  the  operation  is  flat  and 
unproductive.  From  India  we  have  no  recent  news  of 
importance.  Appearances  indicate  a  protracted  and  ex- 
hausting struggle.  From  China,  news  is  hourly  expected 
of  the  bombardment  and  capture  of  Canton.  Of  course 
no  one  dreams  that  the  assault  of  English  and  French 
forces  combined  can  be  repelled  by  the  refractory  Yeh. 
Some  of  "  our  own  correspondents,"  to  be  sure,  have  re- 
peated a  rumor  that  the  principal  streets  had  been  mined, 
with  a  determination  that  the  city  and  its  invaders  should 
be  destroyed  together.  That's  the  Russian  mode  of 
action  ; — not  the  Chinese. 

The  East  India  Company  has  been  both  industrious  and 
spirited  in  resisting  the  transfer  of  her  government  to  the 
Crown.  The  directors  and  proprietors  have  held  a  num- 
ber of  public  meetings: — and  the  speeches  and  addresses 
have  made  out  a  better  defence  of  their  administration 
than  was  thought  possible.  A  lively  essay  in  Blackwood's 
Magazine  for  this  month,  entitled  a  letter  from  John  Com- 
pany to  John  Bull,  gives  a  familiar  and  pretty  fair  view  of 
the  controversy. 

The  vacuum  created  in  public  solicitude  by  the  Levia- 
than having  floated  safely  to  her  moorings  at  Deptford 
and  the  Bank's  weekly  reduction  of  her  interest  until  she 
has  sunk  to  3|  per  cent.,  is  being  refilled  by  fresh  move- 
ments preparatory  to  laying  the  Atlantic  telegraphic 
cable. 

All  the  festivities  of  the  royal  wedding  having  been 
brought  to  a  close,  and  the  young  couple  being  ensconced 
in  their  Berlin  home,  we  are  suddenly  called  upon  to  don 
our  suits  of  sable  for  the  Grand  Duke  of  Baden,  who  died 
pending  the  marriage  ceremonies. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO   COL.  MURRAY.  257 


No.  181.-T0  OOL.  MUERAT. 

London,  February  8,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  lots  of  thanks  to  hand  you  from 
Mr.  H.  and  myself  for  your  kmdness  in  procuring  the  in- 
formation wanted  respecting  our  coinage. 

It  might  be  supposed  that  so  important  and  interesting 
a  state  paper  as  the  Annual  Report  of  our  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury  must  have  been  transmitted  to  this  legation  from 
the  State  Department  long  before  now.  Alas !  no — we 
foreign  agents  of  the  government  must  be  contented  with 
what  we  can  pick  up  in  the  newspapers  as  to  current  mat- 
ters:— by-and-by,  when  they  have  become  antiquated  and 
stale,  then  we  are  deluged  with  floods  of  Executive  and 
Congressional  volumes  which  the  public  printer  furnishes 
for  the  benefit  of  his  own  finances.  I  am  yet  without  a 
document  of  national  manufacture  since  J^ovember  last. 

You  observe  how  incontinently  the  great  allies  are 
getting  by  the  ears.  Louis  Napoleon  seems  to  have  been 
somewhat  upset  b}"  those  hand  grenades  of  Orsini,  and  is 
pursuing  measures  of  tyranny  "hand  over  hand"!  He  has 
the  talent  of  looking  cool : — but  his  acts  betray  supreme 
terror  for  his  person  and  his  dynasty.  A  man  who  usurps 
power  with  the  incidents  of  the  coup  cVetat  should  be  con- 
scious that  millions  are,  at  every  minute,  aiming  to  "hit 
back  again,"  and  become  callous  to  attentats.  He,  however, 
seems  s^irprised ;  and  he  encourages  a  blustering  attack 
upon  England  by  his  ofiicers  of  state,  his  army,  and  his 
press,  as  the  sheltering  den  of  miscreant  assassins.  Well ! 
all  England  bristles  up  with  indignation,  talks  back  the 
libel,  reviews  "the  Little"  from  top  to  toe,  and  hurls  the 
phrases  "murderer"  and  "conspirator"  in  his  teeth.  A 
pretty  little  quarrel  as  it  stands !  But  old  diplomatic 
heads  will  take  care  not  to  let  the  skrimmage  go  too  far. 
Already  the  Premier  has  interposed  a  soothing  draught  in 
the  House  of  Commons.  It  may  be  discussed  this  after- 
noon. Like  a  bread  pill,  it  may  make  the  Imperial  pa- 
tient believe  he  is  taking  something  very  composing  and 
satisfactory,  while  in  fact  it  is  inoftensive  nothing. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


258  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  182 -TO  MR.  OASS. 


London,  February  9,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — N"o  preparations  were  made  for  sending 
anything  to  you  by  the  Arago  from  Southampton  to-mor- 
row:— but  as  Mr.  Pierce,  the  secretary  of  legation  at  St. 
Petersburg,  being  on  his  wa}^  home,  has  offered  to  take 
charge  of  a  Bag,  I  have  suddenly  determined  to  send  one. 

The  tempest  of  excitement  against  Louis  N'apoleon  for 
having  "  insulted  and  threatened  England,"  after  raging 
in  the  Press,  has  found  its  way  into  both  houses  of  Par- 
liament. Mr.  Roebuck,  last  night,  in  the  Commons,  and 
Lord  Lyndhurst,  in  the  Peers,  exhibited  great  feeling  and 
vindicated  the  public  clamor.  The  attempt  to  appease 
indignation  by  an  equivocal  apology  for  the  publicity 
given  in  the  MonUeur,  did  not  produce  the  success  antici- 
pated. The  debate,  which  arose  on  a  bill  offered  by  Lord 
Palmerston  to  change  the  criminal  law  so  far  as  to  make 
a  conspiracy  to  murder,  in  or  out  of  England,  instead  of  a 
misdeyneanor 'pmushahle  by  fine  and  imprisonment,  a  felony 
liable  on  conviction  to  the  minimum  of  five  years,  and  the 
maximum  of  perpetual  imprisonment,  and  to  iransportation, 
continued  for  several  hours  and  was  postponed  without 
conclusion  till  to-day.  It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  Tim.es, 
while  advocating  in  its  editorials  the  passage  of  this  meas- 
ure, supplies  in  the  letters  of  its  Parisian  correspondent 
the  most  sharp  and  powerful  weapons  employed  by  its 
opponents.  Thus, — that  correspondent  dwells  upon  the 
unquestionable  fact  that  the  present  Emperor  has  hunted 
up  and  paid  to  Cantilo  the  legacy  left  to  him  by  Napoleon 
I.  as  a  reward  for  having  attempted  to  assassinate  the 
Duke  of  Wellington  :  and  thus,  too,  he  points  out  that 
the  Colonels,  who  have  in  their  addresses  been  especially 
abusive  of  "the  den  of  assassins,"  have  received  the  cross 
of  the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  promotion  ! 

This  subject  absorbs  the  attention  and  feeling  of  the 
public.  My  opinion  is  that  the  ministr}-,  aided  by  a  large 
number  of  Conservatives,  will  carry  their  propitiatory 
measure. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  259 


No.  183.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  February  12,  1858. 

My  DEAR  Sir, — Enclosed  are  copies  of  two  ^'Private" 
notes  between  Mr.  H.  and  myself.  I  applied  some  ten 
days  ago  for  the  surrender  of  a  man  who  was  charged 
with  murder  on  the  high  seas,  on  board  of  an  American 
vessel.  They  seemed  dilatory  at  the  Foreign  Office,  and 
I  addressed  a  "remind"  to  Lord  Olarendon.  Hence 
these  epistles.  I  caijnot  conceive  that  the  broad  terms 
used  in  the  extradition  treaty  will  receive  from  the  Crown 
officers  the  restricted  or  qualified  construction  which  has 
suggested  itself  to  the  mind  of  her  Majesty's  principal 
Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs.  Ngvel  interpreta- 
tions of  the  plainest  international  engagements  are,  how- 
ever, a  little  too  much  the  order  of  the  day.  This  one,  if 
persisted  in,  is  so  palpably  wrong,  that  I  should  be  dis- 
posed to  regard  the  treat}^  as  fit  for  the  category  of  the 
Clayton-Bulwer,  that  is,  fit  for  abrogation. 

When  I  receive  a  formal  communication  from  the  Earl 
upon  the  subject,  it  shall  become  a  part  of  a  despatch,  into 
which  'private  notes  from  under-secretaries  should  perhaps 
not  be  introduced  except  on  extraordinary  occasions. 

Lord  Palmerston's  bill,  on  the  Refugee  question,  was 
allowed  to  be  read  a  first  time  by  a  very  large  majority, 
in  the  House  of  Commons.  It  will,  however,  be  attacked 
in  committee,  and  be  strenuously  opposed  at  every  stage. 
I  was  last  night  told  by  a  Peer,  that  neither  this  measure, 
nor  the  Premier's  India  Bill  (which  he  offers  this  after- 
noon), nor  his  Reform  Bill,  can  pass  in  the  Lords ;  and 
that  he  might  cease  to  be  the  head  of  the  government  be- 
fore the  present  session  closed.  These  representations  I 
suspect  to  be  the  ofi'spring  of  party  feeling,  for  I  can  per- 
ceive no  diminution  in  his  popularity  or  power. 

You  will  have  noticed  fresh  successes  by  Sir  Colin 
Campbell  in  India,  and  the  capture  of  Canton  by  the  allied 
forces. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


260  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  184.-T0  ME.  HAMMOND. 

LoNDOK,  February  12,  1858. 

My  dear  Mr.  Hammond, — I  can  entertain  no  doubt  as 
to  tlie  construction  heretofore  put  by  the  government  of 
the  United  States  upon  our  Extradition  Treaty  of  1842. 

The  point  arose  when  a  similar  treaty  was  negotiating 
by  Mr.  Webster,  Secretary  of  State,  and  Baron  Gerolt, 
the  minister  from  Prussia,  at  Washington,  in  1852.  The 
language  used  in  the  Xth  article  of  our  Treaty,  "  all  per- 
sons," was  perceived  to  be  too  comprehensive  for  the 
powers  of  the  King  of  Prussia,  and  of  a  large  number  of 
the  German  States  (parties  to  the  treaty)  as  restricted  by 
their  respective  constitutions  and  laws : — and  so  in  the 
preamble  was  specially  recited  the  limited  sense  given  to 
the  general  phraseology,  and  its  cause. 

I  think,  indeed,  that  owing  to  the  constant  employment 
of  the  seamen  of  each  nation  on  board  of  the  other's 
vessels,  an  extradition  treaty  which  left  either  at  liberty  to 
decline  the  surrender  of  its  own  citizens  or  subjects,  would 
lose  more  than  half  its  value  to  both. 

Very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  185.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  February  23,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  despatch  of  to-day  tells  you  of  the 
sudden  downfall  of  Lord  Palmerston.  It  is  possibly  like 
that  of  the  Son  of  the  Morning,  irreparable.  The  ground 
upon  which  it  was  achieved  is  undeniable  as  a  fact,  and  as 
a  sentiment  irresistible.  He  neglected,  is  the  charge,  to 
maintain  the  national  honor  when  it  was  assailed  in  the 
insolent  and  exacting  letter  of  Walewski.  This  is  the 
point  on  which  he  has  heretofore,  and  justly,  plumed  him- 
self for  promptness  and  boldness,  the  lack  of  which  at 
Vienna  kept  another  statesman  for  some  years  under  a 
cloud.  Certainly  nothing  could  be  more  insufferabl}^  offen- 
sive than  the  French  tone ;  and  John  Bull  has  suddenly 


TO  MR.  CASS.  261 

awakened  to  the  conviction  that  his  old  hatred  is  as  bitter 
as  ever. 

Among  the  rumors  of  the  day,  I  have  been  told  that  the 
French  minister,  Mr.  Persigny,  while  the  Conspiracy  Bill 
was  pending,  visited  Lord  Derby,  and  in  the  course  of 
conversation,  impressively  urged  its  early  passage.  Well, 
said  Lord  D.,  it  may  get  through  ; — but  it  may  not,  and 
what  then  ?  What  then  ?  exclaimed  the  ambassador, — 
"  la  guerre!^'  Ah  !  was  the  cool  reply,  you  had  better  go 
and  tell  that  to  Clarendon !  His  Excellency  left  for  Paris 
the  next  day : — the  papers  report  him  gone  to  a  country 
seat;  and  it  is  conjectured  that  he  may  not  return  to 
London. 

One  of  Lord  Derby's  earliest  calls,  after  being  invested 
with  the  power  to  construct  a  ministry,  was  on  Mr.  Glad- 
stone. That  accomplished  gentleman  expressed  a  readi- 
ness to  join  him,  on  one  condition,  however,  namely,  that 
his  political  associates,  the  principal  of  whom  are  I^ew- 
castle,  Herbert,  Grey,  Graham,  and  Cardwell,  would  go 
with  him.     All  of  these,  when  asked,  flatly  refused. 

On  the  day  of  the  ministerial  resignation,  Saturday  last, 
I  dined  at  the  Palace,  and  met  at  table,  among  a  number  of 
guests,  two  of  the  retired  secretaries.  Lord  Clarendon  and 
Sir  Charles  Wood.  Their  happy  exhilaration  was  quite 
unusual  and  striking.  Xo  doubt,  they  felt  personally  the 
relief  of  having  thrown  off  an  immense  weight  of  compli- 
cations, commitments,  and  responsibilities.  Such  loads 
as  the  Conspiracy  Bill,  the  India  Bill,  the  Reform  Bill, 
the  war  in  China,  and  the  Sepoy  war,  are  not  easily  car- 
ried. 

At  the  dinner,  when  my  turn  to  receive  a  gracious  word 
from  her  Majesty  arrived,  she  informed  me  that  she  in- 
tended writing  to  the  President  on  the  subject  of  her  daugh- 
ter's marriage,  and  to  send  him  a  medal  which  she  had 
had  struck  in  commemoration  of  that  happy  event.  These 
medals  are  of  three  descriptions,  gold,  silver,  and  bronze; 
and  they  are  represented  as  exceedingly  beautiful  in  de- 
sign and  execution.  Of  course,  I  made  the  proper  assur- 
ances of  the  high  gratification  with  which  such  a  remem- 
brance from  her  Majesty  would  be  received  by  the  Presi- 
dent. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


262  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  186.-TO  ME.  OASS. 


London,  March  5,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  "inaugural"  speech  of  the  Prime 
Minister  in  the  House  of  Lords  on  Monday  was  faultless 
in  manner,  and  in  general  tone  l)ecoming.  It  was,  how- 
ever, impossible  not  to  perceive  that  Lord  Derby  was  op- 
pressed by  a  consciousness  of  party  weakness,  and  of  his 
being  at  the  mercy  of  the  Liberal  majority  in  the  Com- 
mons. He  enunciated  no  distinctive  policy,  assumed  no 
elevated  stand,  but  on  the  contrary  seemed  to  deprecate 
the  antagonism  of  those  he  had  overthrown,  by  generally 
adhering  to  their  recent  measures,  and  by  some  instances 
of  special  compliment.  He  would  go  on  with  the  India 
Bill: — he  would  continue  the  war  in  China;  he  would 
conform  to  the  advanced  state  of  public  opinion  by  ma- 
turing a  Reform  Bill :  and  for  the  first  time,  he  relaxed 
the  rigid  character  of  his  conservative  party  by  defining  it 
as  read}'  to  introduce  safe  improvements  of  every  sort. 
He  eulogized  the  management  of  the  army  by  Lord  Pan- 
mure  and  the  Duke  of  Cambridge.  On  the  ruling  topic 
of  the  day,  the  Imperial  demand  that  the  English  criminal 
law  should  be  made  more  stringent,  he  was  puzzled  how 
to  shape  his  course  dift'erently  from  the  one  pursued  by 
his  predecessors.  The  French  alliance  was  of  incalculable 
value;  and  yet  his  countrymen  were  justly  indignant  at 
the  libels  and  menaces  which  had  been  vented  by  certain 
official  and  military  functionaries,  and  which  had  been 
crowding  the  Parisian  papers  headed  by  the  Moniteur.  He 
would  take  the  vote  of  the  House  of  Commons  on  Mr. 
Milner  Gibson's  motion  as  the  voice  of  the  people  of  Eng- 
land : — he  would  make  that  the  groundwork  of  his  action; 
he  would,  by  a  paper  already  prepared  by  Lord  Malmes- 
bury,  answer  appropriately  Count  Walewski's  despatch  of 
the  20th  of  January,  and  he  should  receive  in  reply  such 
disclaimers  of  injurious  meaning  as  would  satisfy  British 
honor  and  preserve  the  alliance. 

At  the  close  of  this  address,  Lord  Clarendon  vindicated 
his  forbearance  in  not  at  once  answering  the  offensive 
letter,  by  a  speech  unusually  lucid  and  able.  But  there 
was  this  obvious  misapprehension  of  the  gist  of  the  matter 
running  through  the  whole: — namely,  he  treated  Walew- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  263 

ski's  letter,  not  as  a  notional  act  but  as  an  indiscreet  ebulli- 
tion of  personal  excitement,  an  imprudence  tliat  might  be 
easiest  got  over  in  conversation  between  Lord  Cowley  and 
the  Count.  Every  one  must  have  felt  that  this  secret 
mode  of  adjusting  a  public  point  of  national  honor  would 
not  do : — the  affront  should  be  repelled  and  disclaimed  as 
it  was  given. 

I  have  been  struck  by  the  series  of  incidents  which  led 
to  this  sudden  change  of  the  government.  It  is  difficult 
to  ascribe  the  immediate  resignation  of  Lord  Palmerston 
solely  to  the  equivocal,  and  by  no  means  impressive,  censure 
of  Milner  Gibson's  resolution.  Perhaps  I  regard  it  from 
an  American  point  of  view: — but  I  cannot  help  thinking 
that,  had  not  the  roar  ot  the  angry  and  approaching 
masses  been  heard,  the  retirement  would  have  been  less 
precipitate.  The  plain  truth  is  that  on  this  point  of  con- 
ceding to  foreign  dictation  and  menace,  the  hearts  of  the 
people  were  in  advance  of  the  heads  of  their  representa- 
tives of  both  political  parties  : — a  case  we  have  often  seen 
ilkistrated  in  our  own  history.  After  all  said  and  done, 
there  are  special  occasions  on  which  it  may  be  accepted  as 
Gospel  that  Vox  populi  est  Vox  Dei.  The  roar  is  less  loud 
for  the  moment,  that  Lord  Derby  may  have  a  fair  chance  : 
— but  let  him  tamper  for  an  instant  wnth  this  deep  and 
deaf  popular  sentiment,  and  he  w^ill  have  to  follow  the 
footsteps  of  his  illustrious  predecessor. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  grave  proceedings,  one  cannot 
help  being  amused  at  some  few  manifestations  of  harle- 
quinade. Almost  in  the  same  hour,  some  score  of  pon- 
derous politicians  invade  the  Palace,  hand  their  seals 
(supposititionsly  ?)  to  the  Queen,  kiss  her  hand,  and 
bow  backward  into  the  grave  of  private  life:  and  then  ad- 
vance an  equal  score  among  whom  the  seals  are  re-dis- 
tribated,  who  kiss  hands,  and  who  stream  like  eagles, 
from  the  presence  of  her  little  Majesty,  to  the  pinnacles  of 
power!  Observe,  too,  that  the  change  in  government 
exacts  other  more  visible  changes,  as  for  instance,  whereas 
the  former  score  of  functionaries  sat,  in  either  House,  on 
long  benches  at  the  right  of  the  presiding  officer.  Chan- 
cellor or  Speaker,  and  the  present  score  sat  on  similar 
benches  on  the  left,  now  they  must  cross  hands  and  front 
each  other  from  exactly  opposite  quarters.  And,  as  their 
chiefs  do,  so  must  the  whole  body  of  each  of  the  political 


264  TO  MR.  CASS. 

parties  do :  thus  placing  the  ministry  for  the  time  being 
always  on  the  right  and  the  opposition  always  on  the  left. 
ISo  doubt  there  is  practical  convenience  in  this  conven- 
tional course  of  action,  but  it  reminds  one  comically  of 
the  dancing  among  the  Shaking  Quakers. 

You  observe  that  Changarnier  declines  returning  to 
France,  until  her  population  is  "  in  possession  of  laws  pro- 
tecting their  dignity  and  safety."  This  is  throwing  the 
glove  at  the  foot  of  the  throne,  and,  connected  with  sub- 
terranean rumors  which  have  reached  me,  has  much  more 
than  its  apparent  significance. 

The  new  ministers  are  rapidly  getting  re-elected  to  their 
seats  in  the  Commons :  and  I  presume  all  will  be  ready 
by  the  15th  instant,  the  day  to  which  Parliament  ad- 
journed. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


LETTERS  FROM  LONDON, 


TOLUMB    II. 


VOL.  II. — 1 


LETTERS  FROM  LONDON. 


No.  187.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  March  12, 1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Two  things  are  just  now  overshadowing 
the  India  and  China  wars,  and  intently  engaging  attention : 
1.  the  uncertain  tenure  of  the  new  cabinet,  and  2.  the 
critical  relations  with  France, 

Lord  Derby  is  undertaking  to  do  what  has  never  been 
done  before,  that  is,  to  conduct  the  government  with  a 
large  majority  against  him  in  the  House  of  Commons. 
That  majority,  however,  is  itself  divided  into  Liberals,  the 
greatest  faction, — the  Radicals — the  Lord  John  Russellites 
— and  the  Peelites ;  and  it  will  require  some  address  to 
start  a  measure  of  leading  importance  which  will  concen- 
trate enough  of  these  subdivisions  to  outvote  the  minis- 
try. Of  course  much  speculation  is  indulged  as  to  the 
advance  by  which  the  opposition  will  find  it  politic  to 
bring  on  the  decisive  contest.  I  received  a  hint  last  night 
from  an  eminent  member  that  I  had  better  be  in  the 
Commons  this  evening,  wlien  Parliament  reassembles,  as 
some  demonstration  is  expected  whence  it  may  be  possi- 
ble to  foresee  the  fate  of  Lord  Derby.  It  will  be  too  late 
for  your  enlightenment  by  this  opportunity. 

The  alliance  with  France  is  fast  taking  the  aspect  of  "a 
dissolving  view."  Very  bitter  feelings  have  seized  the 
populations  of  both  countries.  France  would  seem  to  go 
with  her  military  chiefs  in  pursuit  of  some  external  quar- 
rel whose  effect  at  home  will  be  the  consolidation  of  the 
Imperial  dynasty,  and  a  succession  of  fields  of  glory. 
Nothing  more  in  harmony  with  prevailing  passions,  or 
more  promising,  than  a  war  with  England.  I  think  it  a 
mistake  to  suppose  this  state  of  things  to  be  the  sudden 

(3) 


4  TO  MR.  CASS. 

creation  of  recent  events.  It  has  been  long  brewing; — 
and,  as  the  Hindoo  mutiny  found  its  vent  in  greased  car- 
tridges, so  this  is  rounded  by  the  grenades  of  Orsini. 
You  will  see  in  the  newspapers  a  remarkable  paper,  ob- 
viously emanating  from  the  Napoleonic  bureau,  the  tone 
of  which  is  quiet  and  deprecatory,  but  the  real  influence 
of  which  is  to  prepare  the  French  mind,  by  insidious  allu- 
sions to  Waterloo,  St.  Helena,  and  the  Crimea,  for  an  ex- 
plosion of  the  alliance.  On  the  other  hand.  Lord  Derby, 
in  the  existing  mood  of  his  countrymen,  in  and  out  of  Par- 
liament, will  tind  it  hard  to  pursue  steadily  the  policy  of 
peace.  The  Times  of  to-day  says  they  are  "drifting  into  a 
war,"  and  speculates  on  the  facility  with  which  they  can 
protect  the  island  from  invasion  and  demolish  Cherbourg 
at  a  blow !  Should  the  Premier  exhibit  the  spirit  and 
faculties  of  a  war  minister — and  he  has  already  shewn 
some  symptoms  of  the  kind — he  may  become  master  of 
the  political-party  position,  and  through  the  ruling  interest 
of  the  day  greatly  augment  his  popularity. 

I  must  add  to  these  views  and  impressions  the  undoubted 
fact  that  disaftection  to  Louis  Napoleon  is  becoming  wide- 
spread and  menacing.  Arrests  have  been  multiplied : — 
spies,  informers,  and  police  swarm  all  over  France :  gen- 
erals are  planted  in  civil  posts :  Changarnier  and  Bedeau 
reject,  rather  contemptuously,  the  imperial  invitation  to 
Paris :  Chalons,-  not  far  from  the  capital,  has  been  the 
theatre  of  an  Smente,  during  which  was  heard  the  omi- 
nous trumpet  call  "Vive  la  Republique!"  and  I  was  read 
parts  of  a  letter  from  a  highly  distinguished  and  reliable 
source,  two  days  ago,  which  depicted  France  as  ^'■honey- 
combed" with  secret  and  affiliated  societies.  I  think  I 
perceive  in  my  general  intercourse,  the  existence  of  that 
vague  and  undetinable  expectation  of  some  coming  events 
which  is  said  to  precede  a  convulsion. 

All  this  may  blow  over: — it  would  seem  hardly  possi- 
ble, and  yet  it  may.  But  sliould  it  not,  what  then  ?  We 
have  vast  interests,  material  and  political,  involved  in  the 
measures  which  it  may  please  the  two  great  European 
belligerents  to  take  against  the  commerce  and  possessions 
of  each  other.  The  violence,  which  followed  the  rupture 
of  the  treaty  of  Amiens  may  be  revived  under  fresh  Ber- 
lin decrees  and  Orders  in  Council :  perhaps  impressment! 
but  I  suppose  we  are  not  yet  near  enough  to  the  catas- 
trophe to  render  forecasting  necessary. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  5 

Colonel  "Williams  is  here,  on  liis  way  to  Constantinople. 
He  will  probably  remain  for  a  week  or  ten  days. 

The  Turkish  Embassy  to  this  Court  express  great  grati- 
fication at  the  manner  in  which  you  have  welcomed  their 
High  Admiral. 

You  will  much  oblige  me  by  saying,  to  Mr,  Toucey  that 
I  have  been  earnestly  requested  to  intercede  on  behalf  of 
the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  for  another  steamship 
as  a  consort  to  the  Niagara  : — but  I  forbear  troubling  him, 
because  quite  sure  that  he  will  do  what  is  right. 

A  gentleman  just  in  from  Paris  states  the  universal  dread 
of  something  impending  as  prevailing  there :  that  the 
funds  have  gone  down  and  are  still  sinking:  that  the  rail- 
ways are  nearly  all  insolvent:  and  that  business  and  move- 
ment are  completely  arrested.  This  is  the  very  latest  pic- 
ture of  that  metropolis:  what  will  be  the  next? 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  188 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

LoxDON,  March  19,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  cannot  permit  the  .Persia  to  go  to- 
morrow without  a  line,  although  I  have  really  nothing 
worth  communicating. 

Since  my  No.  94  of  the  17th  instant,  everything  (always 
excepting  the  spiteful  degladiation  of  the  London  and 
Paris  presses)  has  been  quiet.  A  few  symptoms  indicate 
that  neither  country  is  quite  satisfied  with  the  manner  in 
which  their  respective  governments  have  closed  the  discus- 
sion on  the  Refugee  question.  After  some  subterranean 
fermentation,  it  is  not  unlikely  that  there  will  break  out  a 
fresh  stream  of  hot  lava. 

You  will  have  heard  from  Madrid  that  the  actual  min- 
istry discountenanced  war  with  Mexico :  that  Zuloaga 
has  recalled  Lafragua  and  promised  another  envoy :  and 
that  the"  prospect  is  fair  for  an  amicable  settlement  under 
the  mediation  of  France  and  England. 

Everybody  is  anxiously  gazing  on  the  military  move- 
ment against  the  Sultan  of  Utah.     When  you  have  dis- 


6  TO  MR.  CASS. 

persed  the  Saints  and  their  seraglios,  it  is  possible  that  the 
Church  of  England  may  proclaim  a  special  thanksgiving. 

Mr.  Disraeli  constantly  and  fervently  begs  for  quarter. 
There  is  a  beseeching  character  about  his  whole  manner 
in  the  House  of  Commons  which  really  begets  a  generous 
sympathy  and  forbearance. 

I  was  a  guest — the  only  intruder — at  a  consultation 
dinner  caucus  the  other  day,  about  20  in  all.  They  were 
maturing  a  plan  for  abolishing  light-house  duties,  follow- 
ing our  example  therein.  It  has  to  be  managed  with 
great  caution  and  skill  to  avoid  corporate  and  vested  in- 
terests.    It  will,  however,  be  soon  stirred. 

A  telegraphic  despatch  from  Naples  announces  that  his 
Majesty  has  released  the  poor  insane  engineer  Watt, 
though  he  retains  unrelaxed  his  clutch  upon  the  other 
Englishman.  Public  feeling  is  more  excited  here  on  this 
topic  than  it  has  yet  been.     "  Civis  Roinanus  sum." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  189.-TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  March  26,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir,. — Count  Persigny  withdrew  from  the 
French  Embassy  here,  and  we  are  expecting  his  successor 
in  the  person  of  the  Duke  of  MalakofF.  There  are  very 
many  causes  to  which  this  change  is  attributable : — the 
simplest  is  perhaps  the  etfective  one,  to  wit,  the  personal 
rivalry  and  ill  will  between  Walewski  and  Persigny.  The 
former  did  not  feel  the  extreme  solicitude  to  preserve  the 
alliance  felt  by  the  latter,  and  suppressed  or  mutilated 
papers  elaborately  prepared  to  attain  that  end :  he  treated 
his  subordinate  as  too  English;  and  preferred,  at  any  cost, 
to  maintain  in  the  Refugee  controversy,  the  "dignity  of 
France"  and  her  position.  Persigny  saw,  or  thought  he 
saw,  that  this  was  not  the  I^Tapoleonic  idea,  and  has  thrown 
up  in  disgust.  He  is  said  to  be  resolved  on  private  life,  or 
at  most  to  restrict  himself  to  the  duties  of  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  Regency.  He  has  been  devoted  to  the 
Emperor;  is  at  heart,  like  most  of  the  French  absolutists 
of  the  hour,  a  republican  :  possesses  independent  lauded 


TO  MR.  CASS.  7 

estates:  and  is  hardly  fifty  yet.  His  lovely  and  pleasure- 
loving  wife,  grand-danghter  of  "  le  brave  des  braves," 
is  weeping  her  eyes  out  at  the  prospect  of  quitting  her 
London  throne  of  fashion  for  a  rural  isoleinent. 

As  far  as  I  have  yet  been  able  to  learn,  the  Duke  of 
Malakoif  is  fitter  for  an  Algerine  Arab  hunt  than  to  hold 
the  reins  of  diplomacy.  Some  regard  his  mission  as  a 
threat,  or  as  a  reply  valiant  to  the  manner  in  which  the 
British  Parliament  and  press  have  been  lately  dealing 
with  the  "cock-a-doodle-doo"  loyalty  of  the  French 
colonels  and  army: — others,  on  the  contrary,  and  this  is 
the  construction  most  favored,  esteem  it  as  the  highest 
possible  pledge  to  preserve  unimpaired  the  fraternization 
of  the  Crimea.     Nous  verrons. 

I  thought  myself  yesterday  on  the  eve  of  another  of 
those  wretched  pouts  about  Court  Costume  with  which, 
as  an  intermittent,  every  Master  of  Ceremonies  is  liable 
to  be  afflicted.  The  new  functionaries  did  not  exactly  un- 
derstand or  quite  relish  two  suits  of  sable  with  which  two 
of  oar  countrymen  shaded  the  brilliancy  of  the  Levee  on 
the  day  previous ;  and  one  of  these  functionaries  very 
civilly  called  at  the  Legation  to  enquire  the  particulars  of 
the  understanding  between  Mr.  Buchanan  and  Sir  Edward 
Cust  which  might  authorize  the  appearance  of  those  "  betes 
noires."  I  frankly  told  him  all  about  it,  assumed  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  Yankee  wardrobe,  asserted  its  entire  confor- 
mity with  all  the  essentials  of  etiquette,  and  then  told  him 
he  had  better  see  Sir  Edward  Cust,  and  dive  into  the  mys- 
terious depths  of  the  great  subject,  before  he  formed  any 
conclusion,  or  said  anything  farther  on  the  subject.  Fortu- 
nately for  the  pacific  relations  of  the  two  countries,  my 
visitor  was  a  gentleman,  a  gentleman  in  manners,  senti- 
ments, and  ideas,  Mr.  Ponsonby,  once  in  Washington  with 
Sir  Richard  Pakenham,  and  he  went  away  to  investigate. 
On  his  return,  after  a  long  consultation,  he  declared  my 
view  to  be  entirely  right,  that  he  would  make  an  official 
record  of  his  decision,  and  that  henceforward  there  could 
be  no  doubt  or  difficulty  about  presenting  American  citi- 
zens to  her  Majesty,  from  the  General  Circle,  in  the  very 
dress  of  their  diplomatic  representative.  Laiis  Deo  ! — for 
I  think  this  will  enable  our  ministers  here  to  walk,  on  this 
treacherous  element  of  dress,  as  on  thick  ice,  not  as  here- 
'tofore  on  what  boys  call  "kiddly  benders."     !N"ow  that 


8  TO  MR.  CASS. 

this  4tli  of  July  equipment  lias  reached  the  zenith  of  its 
triumph,  I  am  tempted  to  shew  that  it  has  its  injurious  as 
well  as  its  beneficial  influences.  But  I  won't.  Let  me 
only  say  that  when  worn  amid  a  thousand  embroidered 
red  coats,  it  produces  a  peculiarity  which  necessarily  gives 
the  very  distinction  it  professes  to  avoid,  and  so  cultivates 
in  the  wearer  anything  but  a  plain  republican  spirit. 
Crede  experto. 

Both  the  English  engineers  are  released  by  the  ISTeapoli- 
tan  monarch: — a  fact  which  may  be  esteemed  prelimi- 
nary to  his  being  readmitted  to  fellowship  with  France  and 
her  ally.  Sardinia  is,  however,  very  emphatic  in  demand- 
ing the  Cagliari,  as  yet  without  success. 

Parliament  has  got  along  with  the  present  ministry  thus 
fiar  pretty  well.  Prodigious  efforts  to  propitiate  members 
by  the  attentions  and  blandishments  of  private  intercourse 
are  obviously  unremitting.  They  will  have  their  effect: — 
and  probably  that  will  be  first  seen  in  the  care  with  which 
a  test  question  will  be  avoided  by  the  extreme  Liberals. 
There  will  be  an  adjournment,  possibly  to-day,  to  the  12th 
of  April  next. 

At  the  Marquess  of  Salisbury's  last  night.  Sir  Charles 
Lyell  informed  me  that  General  J.  A.  Thomas,  recently 
Assistant  Secretary  of  State,  had  suddenly  died  in  Paris 
from  the  effects  of  a  neglected  influenza. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  190 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  March  30,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  The  Lidia  bill,  introduced  by  Mr. 
Disraeli  on  Friday  last,  as  a  substitute  for  Lord  Palmer- 
ston's,  absorbs  attention.  It  is  ascribed  to  the  eccentric 
talent  of  Lord  Ellenborough,  and  may  be  described  as  a 
brilliant  specimen  of  imaginative  statesmanship: — various, 
complicated,  and  incongruous.  Some  of  its  features  are 
decidedly  republican.  It  obviously  aims  to  propitiate  all 
sorts  of  interests,  prejudices,  and  theories.  The  govern- 
ment is  that  of  a  representative  council,  under  a  minister 
of  the  Crown: — and  the  constituencies  are  executive,  popu- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  9 

lar,  financial,  and  municipal.  A  scheme  so  odd  and  intri- 
cate can  hardly  commend  itself  to  the  gravity  of  Parlia- 
ment, and  its  failure  will  be  the  knell  of  the  Derby  minis- 
try. As  soon  as  the  Easter  recess  is  over,  this  bill  will  be 
treated  as  the  great  cabinet  measure,  will  be  picked  to 
pieces,  and  probably  condemned  by  an  overwhelming 
vote.  Lord  Derby  will  then  determine  whether  to  hand 
the  seals  quietly  back  to  Lord  Palmerston,  or  appeal  to 
the  people  by  dissolving  a  refractory  legislature.  Either 
course  can  be  sustained  by  peculiar  reasons. 

]^o thing  not  military  floats  now  in  France.  The  Duke 
of  Malakofi:",  even  as  ambassador  here,  will  be  encircled 
b}'  his  aids-de-carap.  The  English  press  tries  hard  to  con- 
template this  aspect  of  things  graciously : — but  winces  in 
a  manner  prophetic  of  early  distaste  and  alienation.  It  is 
impossible  to  be  blind  to  the  war-footing  on  which  Louis 
Napoleon  is  hastening  to  place  his  Empire,  or  to  be  deaf 
to  the  doctrines  preached  by  his  five  Marshals  at  their  re- 
spective divisional  headquarters.  There  are  gloomy  fore- 
bodings among  the  City  merchants.  Austria  characterizes 
the  course  of  the  French  Emperor,  in  his  repressive  laws, 
his  numberless  arrests,  his  stringent  system  of  passports, 
his  ubiquitous  espionage,  and  his  filling  civil  posts  with 
soldiers,  as  dangerous  to  the  peace  of  Europe. 

Sir  Colin  Campbell  is  besieging  Lucknow  with  a  force 
of  about  50,000,  and  we  are  in  daily  expectation  of  news 
of  the  downfall  of  that  great  capital  of  Oude.  It  will  prob- 
ably be  accompanied  by  immense  slaughter. 

It  is  said  from  China  that  Mr.  Reed  has  joined  the  other 
plenipotentiaries  in  moving  upon  the  Emperor  at  Pekin. 
I  am  often  questioned  about  our  policy  in  that  region : — 
but  you  have  not  yet  carried  out  your  plan  which  would 
enable  me  to  shape  an  answer. 

I  have  just  received  the  President's  letter  to  the  Queen : 
— also  the  draft  in  favor  of  Mr.  F.  L.  Campbell.  By-the- 
by,  the  Danish  minister  has  been  empowered  to  receive 
the  money  payable  on  account  of  the  extinguishment  of 
the  Sound  Dues,  and  is  on  the  qui  vive  to  hear  of  its  arrival. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


10  TO  MR.  LINDSAY,  M.  R 


No.  191.-T0  MR.  LINDSAY,  M.P. 

London,  April  5,  1858. 

My  dear  Mr.  Lindsay, — You  must  not  suppose  that 
because  I  have  delayed  answering  your  letter  of  the  30th 
inst.,  I  am  insensible  to  its  admirable  object,  your  medi- 
tated "History  of  Siiipping."  On  the  contrary,  I  have 
been  thinking  how  I  could  most  effectively  throw  in  a 
mite  of  assistance  as  to  that  portion  of  your  labors  which 
will  relate  to  the  United  States.  Were  I  at  home,  in  the 
midst  of  my  own  books,  I  should  tind  no  difficulty : — but 
here,  I  want  -the  familiar  instruments  of  action,  and  am 
unwilling  to  rely  on  memory. 

The  British  Museum  ought,  I  think,  to  possess  in  its 
library  a  volume  published  some  forty  or  fifty  years  ago, 
entitled  "Seybert's  Statistics  of  the  United  States."  If 
my  recollection  be  accurate,  the  author  devotes  several 
chapters  and  tables  to  merchant  shipping,  bringing  down 
his  narrative  to  a  date  subsequent  to  1800.  I  knew  him 
personally  and  well  as  a  friend  and  associate  of  my  father, 
and  am  sure  that  he  enjoyed  a  high  reputation,  as  a  pains- 
taking, discriminating,  and  trustworthy  compiler. 

The  legislation  of  the  United  States  immediately  after 
the  adoption  of  the  Constitution  in  1789,  may  usefully  be 
consulted.  We  then  had,  at  the  head  of  our  financial  de- 
partment, one  of  those  leading  and  powerful  minds  that 
never  fail  to  send  their  practical  wisdom  down  to  a  distant 
posterity,  Alexander  Hamilton.  H'e  was  indefatigable  in 
putting  the  new  government  into  operation,  especially  as 
to  the  machinery  for  the  "regulation  of  commerce"  ex- 
clusively vested  in  Congress. 

In  our  principal  ports,  Boston,  Kew  York,  Philadelphia, 
Baltimore,  I^ew  Orleans,  there  are  committees  or  boards 
of  trade,  emanating  generally  from  the  active  shipping 
merchants,  who  would,  I  cannot  doubt,  take  pleasure  in 
collecting  such  local  information  as  you  might  desire  to 
have. 

But  I  reserve  myself  for  another  note  after  I  shall  have 
heard  from  the  United  States.  In  the  mean  while,  I  beg 
you  to  be  assured  that  I  shall  take  great  interest  in  your 
arduous  enterprise. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  11 


No.  192.-T0  ME.  OASS. 


London,  April  6,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Arago,  which  quits  Southampton 
to-morrow,  is  a  favorite  steamer,  or  I  should  be  tempfed 
to  leave  you  without  a  line  until  Saturday : — there  is  so 
little  worth  saying. 

Indications  are  strong  that  an  effort  will  be  made  on  the 
India  bill  to  cut  short  the  ministry  of  Lord  Derby  as  soon 
as  Parliament  reassembles.  The  Palmerstoniaus  have 
had  frequent  private  meetings: — and  the  "extreme  left" 
or  radicals  strongly  denounce  the  scheme  of  government 
proposed  by  Mr.  Disraeli.  The  success  of  the  movement 
may  be  doubted,  for  thus  far  the  cabinet  has  rather  gained 
ground  than  otherwise.  Observe,  however,  that  they  who 
want  to  return  to  office  cannot  safely  allow  their  adversa- 
ries to  be  gradually  creeping  into  public  favor.  A  gen- 
eral impression  prevails,  without  any  decided  cause  for 
it,  that  an  election  is  not  far  off.  Candidates  are  being 
put  in  train.  Should  Lord  Derby  be  in  a  minority  on  a 
division  in  the  House,  it  seems  agreed  that  he  will  march 
to  the  last  Tory  pitched  battle — the  Waterloo — by  a  dis- 
solution. 

The  fondness  of  the  good  Queen  Victoria  for  her  hand- 
some and  irreproachable  husband  remains  unabated;  and 
I  think  it  may  enter  into  the  propitiatory  policy  of  the 
present  ministry  to  gratify  that  conjugal  feeling  by  pro- 
posing to  Parliament  that  the  former  Prince  Albert,  the 
present  Prince  Consort,  should  be  hereafter  recognized  as 
King  Consort.  What  her  Majesty  takes  to  heart,  her  de- 
voted subjects,  however  they  may  temporarily  grumble, 
will  not  long  withhold: — and,  as  a  mere  piece  of  tactics, 
Lord  Derby,  as  champion  of  the  Queen's  private  wishes  on 
this  score,  would  not  iind  his  strength  at  the  hustings  im- 
paired. A  petition  to  Parliament,  the  natural  start  of  an 
appeal  to  popular  sentiment,  is  drafted  and  seeking  signa- 
tures. The  Prince  is  not  as  universally  liked  as  he  really 
deserves  to  be.  He  has  exhibited  great  discretion  in  a  very 
trying  position  for  many  years: — but  he  is  a  German,  and 
much  jealousy  is  cherished  as  to  his  absolutist  principles 
and  his  secret  affiliations  with  the  continental  Courts.    At 


12  TO  MR.  CASS. 

this  particular  juncture,  his  known  and  busy  liaison  with 
Louis  Xapoleon  is  regarded  with  disfavor. 

The  French  Emperor,  although  his  diplomats  are  suffi- 
ciently soothing,  takes  care  to  keep  alive  among  his  subjects 
those  reminiscences  which  invigorate  their  hatred  of  Eng- 
land. Waterloo,  St.  Helena,  Libels  on  his  great  uncle,  are 
common  topics.  By-and-by  he  will  find  it  impossible  to 
keep  his  throne  without  yielding  to  the  "  vis  a  iergo."  In 
allusion  to  the  mission  of  Pelissier  to  London,  one  of  his 
newspaper  wags  has  remarked  that  at  the  beginning  he 
said,  "■  U Empire,  c  est  la  Paix"  now,  by  the  slightest  niodu- 
lation  of  tone,  he  converts  it  into,  ^^L' Empire,  c'estVJEpee !" 
I  am  told  his  ambassador  will  bring  in  his  suite  some 
six  or  eight  of  those  redoubtable  colonels  whose  recent 
figures  of  valiant  loyalty  so  exasperated  John  Bull. 

]^ews  from  Lidia  is  daily  expected  to  announce  the 
bombardment  and  fall  of  Lucknow.  It  is,  however,  but 
one  of  a  hundred  strong  fortresses  in  Oude.  The  Chinese 
demonstration,  though  successful  against  Yeh,  looks,  in 
other  and  broader  aspects,  very  much  like  a  "iizzle." 
The  Cagliari  affair  has  ceased,  by  the  discharge  of  the  two 
engineers,  to  have  any  English  interest: — but  between 
Piedmont  and  iN'aples  it  is  rankling  into  bitterness. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  193 -TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  April  16,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — l!^ow  that  we  are  officially  and  formally 
told  that  the  extinction  of  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treat}'  will 
be  followed  by  no  discontent  or  protest,  might  it  not  be 
well  to  effect  the  abrogation,  if  possible,  by  convention? 
It  would  seem  best  to  avoid  throwing  this  complicated 
subject  into  the  House  of  Representatives  for  endless  de- 
bate, as  must  be  done  to  obtain  a  statute  of  abrogation : 
and  I  do  not  see  but  that  a  treaty,  although  the  supreme 
law  of  the  land,  may  be  rescinded  b}'  the  modus  operandi 
in  which  it  was  created. 

This  subject  reoccurs  for  reflection,  in  consequence  of 
a  short  conversation  had  with  Lord  Derby  at  his  reception 


TO  MR.  CASS.  13 

on  the  14tli  instant.  He  expressed  a  wisTi  to  know  how- 
soon  they  would  be  likely  to  hear  of  the  result  of  the 
legislative  movement  to  abrogate;  for,  said  he,  "though 
we  make  no  objection,  we  should  like  to  be  apprised,  as 
soon  as  it  takes  place."  Of  course,  I  could  not  say  when : 
perhaps  a  mo)ith  hence,  perhaps  more,  perhaps  less. 

You  are  the  best,  and  indeed  the  only,  judges  how  far 
it  may  be  prudent  to  precipitate  the  annulment  of  the 
treaty.  There  may  be  something  in  the  actual  relations 
between  this  government  and  the  Central  American 
States,  and  in  the  amount  of  British  naval  force  present 
at  San  Juan  or  Panama,  which  may  suggest  the  expedi- 
ency of  at  all  events  not  immediately  relieving  England 
from  the  obligation  not  to  acquire  dominion  in  that  quar- 
ter. The  effect  of  a  sudden  push  might  be  inconvenient: 
and,  although  I  can  perceive  no  just  reason  to  apprehend 
anything  of  the  sort,  yet  no  harm  can  be  produced  by 
treating  it  as  imminent. 

The  arrival  of  the  Duke  of  MalakofF,  although  publicly 
attributed  to  other  causes,  has  been  delayed  by  a  lady's 
being  obliged  unexpectedly  to  keep  her  chamber  in  the 
hotel  of  the  Embassy.     He  is  now  in  London. 

At  the  Levee  on  Wednesday,  Baron  Brunow  said  to  me 
that  he  intended  calling  on  me,  with  a  view  to  a  conver- 
sation respecting  Russian  and  American  policy  towards 
the  Chinese.  Here  again  I  experience  the  disadvantage 
of  not  knowing  the  objects  Mr.  Reed  may  have  been  in- 
structed to  pursue.  The  Baron  will  doubtless  be  very 
communicative,  but  he  will  get  nothing  in  return,  for  I 
am  in  the  safe  position  of  having  nothing  to  give. 

The  desire  to  monopolize  the  commerce  with  the  west- 
ern coast  of  Africa,  under  the  guise  of  philanthropy,  be- 
trays itself  more  and  more  every  day.  They  are  quite 
convinced  here,  by  their  explorers,  geographers,  and  lec- 
turers, that  they  are  opening  a  new  India  in  that  quarter. 
The  coast  will  soon  be  too  hot  for  any  trade  but  their  own. 
Spain  is  making  reclamations  like  ours,  for  honest  and 
legal  voyages  harassed,  impeded,  and  broken  up  on  the 
slightest  pretexts.  No  merchants  can  stand  this: — and  in 
less  than  ten  years,  if  these  obstacles  continue,  all  but  the 
English  flag  will  have  disappeared.  Monrovia  may  enjoy 
the  benefits  of  a  British  protectorate. 

You  can  see  in  the  newspapers  of  this  morning  the 


14  TO  MR.  CASS. 

debate  in  the  House  of  Commons  on  Light-house  Dues. 
I  suppose  it  a  result  of  the  dinner  caucus  of  members 
to  which  I  referred  in  my  letter  of  the  19th  of  March 
last.  We  are  largely  interested  in  the  success  of  the  move- 
ment. Lord  Clarence  Paget  exhibited  great  research  and 
ability  in  his  opening  speech.  Lord  Palmerston,  though 
when  Foreign  Secretary  in  1850  he  resisted  the  diplomatic 
notes  of  Mr.  Lawrence,  seemed  yesterday  a  convert. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  194 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  23,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — We  are  now  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
Duke  of  Malakoff's  presence.  He  is  an  undersized, 
chunky,  compact,  white-haired  figure,  with  a  fine  dark 
eye,  black  and  arched  eyebrows,  jet  moustache,  and  a 
manner  at  once  tranquil  and  impressive.  Efforts  are  ob- 
vious to  give  his  advent  the  appearance  of  popularity.  At 
his  residence  yesterday,  on  his  return  from  the  Queen's 
Drawing  Room,  a  crowd  assembled  and  cheered  him.  He 
will  doubtless  accept  the  compliment  as  an  ample  amende 
for  the  acquittal  of  Dr.  Bernard. 

This  verdict  cannot  be  misunderstood.  It  has  no  con- 
nection whatever  with  the  evidence  on  the  trial.  It  is 
John  Bull's  natural  protest  against  an  excess  of  gallicism 
in  the  government  and  at  the  palace.  Had  the  proof  been 
ten  times  as  pungent  and  cumulative,  the  "]^ot  Guilty" 
would  only  have  been  pronounced  with  tenfold  emphasis. 
A  great  Law-Lord  ascribes  it  to  the  republicanism  with 
which  the  mass  of  the  people  are  becoming  thoroughly 
imbued.  And,  notwithstanding  all  this,  the  mere  mention 
of  the  verdict,  no  matter  in  what  circle  it  l)e  made,  is  ac- 
companied by  a  smile  of  secret  satisfaction  ! 

I  think  the  ministry  are  gradually  getting  firmer  in  their 
seats.  Their  movements  have,  thus  far,  had  lucky  results. 
They  have  raked  Watt  and  Parke,  the  engineers,  out  of 
the  ISTeapolitan  fire.  They  have  adjusted  satisfactorily  the 
vexations  of  the  passport  system.  They  have  dodged  an 
open  breach  with  France.     They  have  steered  their  India 


TO  MR.  CASS.  15 

bill,  piloted  by  Lord  John  Russell,  into  smooth  no  party 
waters.  And  now  Mr.  Disraeli,  in  a  speech  of  clearness 
and  ability,  has  introduced  his  Budget,  which  is  praised 
and  accepted  by  the  practical  financiers  of  the  City.  To  be 
sure,  parliamentary  reform  may  almost  at  any  moment 
rise  to  alarm  them : — and  if  the  Brights,  Roebucks,  and 
Miluer  Gibsons  can  content  themselves  with  what,  on  that 
subject.  Lord  Palmerston  or  Lord  John  Russell  is  willing 
to  concede,  then  the  Derby  cabinet  must  disappear  like 
a  whiff  of  smoke : — but  there  lies  the  perhaps  insurmount- 
able difficulty  of  the  opposition.  The  extreme  Liberals 
whom  I  have  named  want  manhood,  or  universal,  suffrage, 
and  regard  the  ballot  as  a  sine  qua  non.  Besides,  they 
begin  to  look  proudly  on  the  ministry  themselves,  and  I 
doubt  whether  any  effective  reconciliation  between  the 
disjointed  sections  of  the  Liberal  party  which  does  not 
make  Bright  and  Gibson  members  of  a  new  government, 
be  at  all  possible. 

Th^  Greek  minister,  Mr.  Tricoupi,  has  repeatedly 
begged  me  to  say  to  you  that  the  gentleman  whom  the 
President  has  appointed  consul  in  his  country  occupied 
that  post  some  years  ago ; — that  he  will  undoubtedly  be 
received  and  treated  with  the  respect  and  confidence  due 
to  the  United  States : — but  when  he  was  there  before,  he 
did  something  which  obliged  the  Greek  government  to 
complain;  and  on  the  present  occasion,  nothing  more  is 
wished  than  that  he  should  be  instructed  not  to  inter- 
meddle in  the  politics  of  Greece. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  195 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  April  30,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  a  current  of  conversation  among 
politicians  leading  me  to  think  that  a  decisive  effort  will 
soon  be  made  by  the  Liberals  to  eject  the  present  Conser- 
vative ministry.  The  rank  and  tile  within,  and  the  editors 
without,  are  beginning  to  reproach  Lord  Palmerston  and 
his  colleagues  with  too  easy  an  acquiescence  in  the  exclu- 
sion of  the  party.     More  vigor  and  readiness  to  rescue  the 


16  TO  MR.  CASS. 

government  are  called  for.  The  practical  embarrassment 
in  effecting  the  necessary  understanding  among  the  sec- 
tions of  the  opposition  is  the  claim  of  Lord  John  Rus- 
sell to  the  Premiership.  Lord  Palmerston  will  not  be  re- 
stored while  his  restoration  requires  votes  from  the  Bright 
and  Gibson  division:  —  but  if  this  rivalry  of  the  whig 
chiefs  could,  in  any  way,  be  surmounted,  say  by  adopting 
another  leader,  as  Granville  or  Clarendon,  the  doom  of 
the  Derby  cabinet  would  be  immediately  sealed. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  Mr.  Disraeli,  though  unex- 
pectedly and  admittedly  successful  with  the  Budget,  has 
greatly  damaged  the  position  of  the  ministry  by  his  man- 
agement of  the  India  bill.  That  measure  was  timidly 
sacrificed  to  a  menace  from  Lord  John  Russell,  and  now, 
this  very  evening.  Sir  Harry  Vane  proposes  to  move,  and 
with  every  prospect  of  success,  that  the  subject  of  a  new 
government  for  India  be  postponed  to  the  next  session. 
The  directors  of  the  East  India  Company  may  thus,  as  I 
have  expected  they  would,  triumph  by  the  quarrels  of 
their  assailants. 

It  is  difiicult  to  say  in  what  way  the  issue  will  be  made 
up  for  the  final  struggle.  The  gentlemen  in  power  are  so 
concessive,  as  to  make  a  positive  conflict  upon  a  cabinet 
question  hard  to  bring  about.  Their  adversaries  may  be 
obliged  to  introduce  a  motion  of  a  want  of  confidence. 
Room  for  such  a  step  is  afiforded  by  1.  The  weakness 
shewn  on  the  India  topic  :  2.  The  implacable  spirit  against 
the  admission  of  the  Jews  into  Parliament:  3.  The  bun- 
gling in  the  War  Department  as  to  military  commissions: 
and  4.  The  general  inability  or  reluctance,  springing 
from  internal  dissension,  to  assume  and  avow  a  distinct 
line  of  policy  on  any  subject. 

It  is  not  believed  that  a  disposition  exists,  either  in  the 
two  countries  themselves  or  elsewhere,  to  push  the  con- 
troversy between  Piedmont  and  Naples  about  the  Cagliari 
to  extremities.  The  point  of  international  law,  as  to  the 
right  of  capturing  the  vessel,  is  knotty  enough  to  divide 
professional  men  of  the  highest  ability  and  repute.  King 
Bomba  will  continue  to  be  gracious,  as  in  the  cases  of 
Watt  and  Parke,  and  liberate  the  steamer:  or  the  dispute, 
now  the  cause  of  bold  and  loud  words,  will  be  permitted 
to  "fizzle"  out,  in  subdued  tones,  at  the  Paris  Confer- 
ence. 


TO   MR.  CASS.  17 

Sir  Edward  Oust,  the  Queen's  Master  of  Ceremonies, 
who  carries  the  warlike  title  of  Major-General,  has  just 
put  to  press  a  military  work  to  which  he  is  paternally 
anxious  to  draw  attention.  He  has  begged  space  in  the 
despatch  bag  for  two  copies,  one  addressed  to  the  Presi- 
dent, the  other  to  General  Floyd,  and  you  will  please  to 
ensure  their  prompt  reception. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  196 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  May  7,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Lord  Palmerston  in  opposition  is  singu- 
larly diiFerent  from  what  he  was  as  Prime  Minister.  He 
has  become  patient,  discreet,  and  even  conciliatory.  He 
helps,  with  his  whole  following,  Mr.  Disraeli,  whenever 
that  gentleman  is  supposed  to  be  in  a  tight  place.  He  did 
so  to  the  overwhelming  discomfiture  of  Lord  Harry  Vane's 
motion  against  any  present  legislation  on  India  govern- 
ment: and  only  the  night  before  last,  he  repeated  the 
movement,  by  planting  himself  and  forces  under  the  walls 
of  the  cabinet,  against  which  Mr.  Gladstone  and  the 
Peelites,  with  Lord  John  Russell  and  the  Radicals,  were 
briskly  aiming  an  address  to  the  Queen  in  favor  of  the 
union  and  independence  of  the  Moldo-Wallachian  Prin- 
cipalities !  The  tendency  of  this  course  of  party  action  is 
to  strengthen  the  roots  of  dissension  among  the  Liberals. 
Recently,  a  caucus  of  these  in  number  about  120,  convened 
in  a  committee  room  and  coolly  denounced,  as  unsatisfac- 
tory or  treacherous,  all  the  whig  leaders  of  late  years : — 
resolving  that  until  the  Liberal  party  could  be  organized 
upon  a  broader  and  firmer  platform,  it  would  be  unwise 
to  oust  Lord  Derby. 

The  "Niagara,"  with  more  than  1400  miles  of  an  elec- 
tric cable  on  board,  will  be  ready  to  begin  the  experi- 
mental trip  by  the  close  of  this  month.  Captain  Hudson 
goes  to  Paris  this  afternoon,  and  will  ascertain  what  Rus- 
sian or  French  guest  he  is  to  have  with  him.  He  and 
his  officers  are  all  sanguine  that  the  improved  machinery 
will   secure  success.     The  melancholy  condition  of  the 

VOL.  II. — 2 


18  TO  MR.  CASS. 

"  Susquehanna  "  will,  it  is  concluded,  prevent  her  partici- 
pating in  the  exploit. 

Consider  me,  my  dear  sir,  as  saying  all  that  a  modest 
man  ought  to  say,  in  acknowledgment  for  the  kind  words 
in  your  letter  of  the  15th  April,  just  received.* 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  197.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  11,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — We  have  a  second  youthful  Queen  at 
Buckingham  Palace,  who  received  the  homage  of  the 
diplomatic  corps  on  Saturday  last.  Her  father,  here  also, 
is  of  the  multitudinous  secondary  shelf  of  royalty,  the 
German  House  of  Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen.  Some  few 
years  ago  he  abdicated,  being  too  poor  to  maintain  the 
dignity  of  independence,  and  ceding  his  position,  what- 
ever it  was,  to  the  King  of  Prussia,  that  sovereign  dubbed 
him  "Highness,"  and  made  him  a  Prince  of  his  royal 
family.  His  daughter,  "Stephanie,"  married  by  proxy  to 
the  King  of  Portugal,  is  on  her  way  to  Lisbon,  and  very 
naturall}^  stops  here  to  make  her  curtsy  to  Queen  Victoria, 
the  central  link  of  the  marriage  compact  uniting  Prussia, 
England,  and  Portugal.  She  is  just  twenty-one,  looks 
like  an  unaiFected  modest  American  girl,  ancl  probably  is 
a  little  perplexed  in  thinking  that,  if  the  recent  attempt 
to  poison  her  morganatic  better  half  had  succeeded,  her 
position  as  Queen  and  yet  no  Queen,  as  civiliier  wife  and 
yet  religiose  not  wife,  would  have  been  rather  anomalous 
and  embarrassing. 

The  struggle  between  the  Lords  and  Commons  on  the 
Oaths  bill — properly  called  the  Jews'  Admission  bill — is 


*  The  "  kind  words  "  alluded  to  were  the  following,  and  they  are  ex- 
tracted as  the  stimulus  and  apology  for  the  present  publication  : 

"  I  thank  you  very  much  for  your  graphic  letters.  I  read  them  all  to 
the  cabinet,  where  they  are  listened  to  with  great  interest.  Your  facts 
and  speculations  are  just  what  we  want,  and  what  we  can  get  nowhere 
else.  I  will  say  to  you  what  I  have  said  elsewhere,  that  since  the  days 
of  Horace  "VValpole  I  have  seen  no  more  successful  effort  of  this  kind 
than  is  furnished  by  your  lifelike  correspondence." 


TO  MR.  CASS.  19 

ripening  to  coercive  legislation.  Lord  John  Russell,  last 
night,  seconded  ably  and  sternly  by  the  late  Attorney- 
General,  Sir  Richard  Bethell,  threw  the  gauntlet  of  defi- 
ance by  moving  the  disagreement  to  the  Peers'  amend- 
ment of  his  measure,  and  his  motion  prevailed  by  a  heavy 
majority.  There  will  be  a  conference:  and  it  is  believed 
that  some  expedient  will  spring  out  of  it  to  enable  the 
hereditary  wisdom  to  succumb  gracefully  to  the  elective. 
I  doubt  that.  Lord  Derby  and  his  new  Lord  Chancellor 
have  taken  their  stand  ^'' inter  aim-es juris,''  and  will  I  think 
inflexibly  wait  the  "hazard  of  the  die."  If  so,  then  will 
the  Commons  be  invoked  to  rush  into  the  illegal,  and 
therefore  unconstitutional,  step  of  seating  the  wealthy  Jew 
by  a  mere  resolution  of  their  own,  dispensing  with  the 
phrase  ^^  iq)on  the  true  faith  of  a  Christian."  At  that  point 
the  fight  may  flag.  Men,  however  disposed  to  urge  into 
practice  the  principle  of  religious  toleration,  may  recoil 
from  the  uncertain  consequences  of  a  really  revolutionary 
step  in  parliamentary  action.  They  are  not  ready  to  set 
the  precedent  of  a  single  House  of  Legislature. 

A  new  and  grave  topic  of  political  contest  has  arisen. 
The  Governor-General  of  Lidia  issued,  on  the  taking  of 
Lucknow,  a  somewhat  ferocious  proclamation,  confisca- 
ting the  territory  of  Oude,  with  certain  exceptions  in  favor 
of  loyal  chiefs  and  inhabitants.  It  has  been  disapproved 
by  the  India  Directors,  and  by  the  President  of  the  Board 
of  Control,  Ellenborough,  in  a  manner  highly  oft'ensive 
to  Lord  Canning  and  his  friends.  The  first  effect  is  a 
meeting  of  Liberals  at  Cambridge  House,  Lord  Palmer- 
ston's,  on  Sunday,  the  da}'  before  yesterday,  who  seem  to 
have  seized  upon  the  occasion  as  a  peculiarly  fortunate 
and  promising  one  for  an  onset  to  overturn  the  ministry. 
Something  will  be  attempted  to  this  efifect  on  the  13th  in- 
stant. If  it  be  shewn,  as  vehemently  asserted  in  conver- 
sation, that,  owing  to  local  ideas.  Lord  Canning  is  right 
and  Lord  Ellenboroughruinously  wrong,  then  the  cabinet 
ignorance  of  the  true  policy  towards  India,  connected  with 
the  terrible  break-down  of  their  India  bill  No.  2,  may 
make  very  dangerous  a  resolution  of  want  of  confidence 
on  the  great  subject  of  their  Eastern  Empire  now  upper- 
most in  the  thoughts  and  feelings  of  the  nation.  Here  is 
a  battery  suddenly  and  indiscreetly  provoked  to  open  its 
deadly  fire  on  an  administration  already  tottering! 


20  TO  MR.  CASS.    ■ 

I  have  received  a  perfectly  reliable  letter,  which  has  not 
been  sent  to  you  simply  because  you  are  worried  more 
than  enough  already  by  unimportant  matters,  complaining 
that  owing  to  some  irregularities  or  neglect  of  the  agents 
you  employ,  the  books  intended  by  the  government  for 
the  British  Museum  very  often  fail  to  reach  their  destina- 
tion. This  is  a  waste  or  a  misappropriation  which  per- 
haps a  word  from  you  might  arrest. 

Our  quondam  friend.  Sir  Henry  Bulwer,  functus  as 
Commissioner  to  the  Moldo-Wallachian  provinces,  has 
gone  to  the  Porte,  successor  to  Lord  Stratford  de  Redclitfe. 
This  appointment  is  deemed  a  good  one,  and  may,  in  a 
measure,  be  traced  to  the  connexion  of  Sir  E.  Bulwer 
Lytton,  his  brother,  with  the  party  in  power.  I  have  had 
the  good  luck  to  form  a  pleasant  acquaintance  with  Lord 
Stratford,  and  to  find  that  he  has  agreeable  recollections 
of  his  stay  in  the  United  States  as  well  as  an  exalted  es- 
timate of  the  ultimate  destiny  of  our  country. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  198.-TO  MR.  OASS, 

London,  May  14,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, —  The  specialty  of  the  moment  is  the 
ministerial  crisis.  Mr.  Cardwell's  resolution,  decidedly 
equivalent  to  one  of  a  want  of  confidence,  so  accepted  in- 
deed b}^  both  sides,  was  postponed  from  yesterday  and 
will  be  discussed  in  the  Commons  to-night.  Lord  Shaftes- 
bury has  a  corresponding  motion,  though  less  compre- 
hensive and  pungent,  with  which  the  Lords  will  be  occu- 
pied at  the  same  time.  I  don't  think  hereditary  wisdom 
will  be  excited  to  censure  by  this  last,  because  Lord  Ellen- 
borough,  against  whose  indiscretion  in  giving  publicity  to 
his  despatch  disapproving  Lord  Canning's  proclamation 
it  is  particularly  directed,  has  suddenly,  obviously  to  save 
the  cabinet,  resigned.  But  Mr.  Cardwell  in  the  Commons 
is  "an  ugly  customer."  He  has  moulded  his  missile  into 
a  deadly  shape : — if  it  hits,  it  must  kill.  I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity last  evening,  at  the  Admiralty,  to  ascertain  the 
forecastings  as  to  the  result.     All  admitted  the    "tight 


TO  MR.  CASS.  21 

place"  of  the  ministry.  Some  affected  to  regard  the  self- 
immolation  of  Ellenborough  as  an  adequate  atonement. 
The  great  hope,  however,  seemed  to  be  in  the  extreme 
difficulty  if  not  impossibility  of  combining  a  sufficient 
number  of  Radicals  with  the  Whigs  in  the  vote.  Mr. 
Bright  and  Mr.  Milner  Gibson  are,  for  the  emergency  at 
least,  in  '■^entente  cordiale"  with  the  cabinet: — but  Lord 
John  Russell,  though  not  immovably  fixed,  is  deeply 
committed  against.  Gossip  says  that  a  perfect  reconcilia- 
tion would  be  immediately  effected  between  Lord  John 
and  Lord  Palmerston,  and  the  Liberals  at  once  disperse 
the  Tories,  but  for  certain  in-door  rivalries,  each  Lady's 
conjugal  pride  claiming  the  premiership.  Those  most 
intimate  with  the  eminent  quartette  are  profound,  though 
probably  deluded,  believers  in  that  article  of  secret  his- 
tory. 

Possibly  to-morrow's  Tijnes  may  take  you  the  finale  of 
the  great  debate  in  the  very  steamer  to  which  I  am 
obliged  to  send  the  Bag  by  5  p.m.: — but  I  doubt  its  end- 
ing so  soon  :  and  if  it  be  adjourned  beyond  Sunday,  it  may 
be  prolonged  to  Wednesday  the  19th  instant.  If  beaten 
by  a  large  majority,  Lord  Derby  will  probably  acquiesce, 
and  retire  as  promptly  as  he  went  in  :  if  the  majority  be 
small,  or  in  other  respects  equivocal,  he  will  resort  to  a 
dissolution  of  Parliament,  should  the  Queen  consent. 

Have  you  noticed  the  contemptuous  manner  in  which 
the  Commons  treated  the  amendments  made  by  the  Peers 
to  the  Oaths  bill?  A  precedent  of  1715  has  been  disin- 
terred upon  the  strength  of  which  Baron  Rothschild,  the 
Jew  bone  of  contention,  without  having  qualified,  but 
simply  upon  his  electoral  return,  is  sent  as  a  member  of 
the  Committee  to  confer  with  the  Lords !  Lord  Chelms- 
ford, being  a  parvenu  on  the  woolsack,  and  full  to  over- 
flowing in  zeal  for  his  new  Order,  can  scarcely  articulate 
his  oftended  dignity. 

I  sincerely  congratulate  our  whole  country,  and  your- 
selves especially,  upon  the  news  which  reached  London 
yesterda}^  of  the  final  votes  on  the  Kansas  question. 

How  odd,  that  you  are  still,  after  the  lapse  of  seven 
months,  as  much  at  a  loss  to  see  the  special  and  definite 
purpose  of  Sir  W.  Ousely's  mission  as  I  was  when  an- 
nouncing it  immediately  subsequent  to  a  personal  inter- 
view with  him  !     Diplomacy  brings  i-ep roach  upon  itself 


22  TO  MR.  CASS. 

by  whatever  looks  double  and  disingenuous.  Lord  Na- 
pier labors  very  hard,  and  probably  controls  his  real  na- 
ture, in  his  explanatory  and  excusatory  note  of  the  26th 
April  last. 

The  opposition  in  Paris  have  carried  their  man :  and 
thus,  of  that  representation  there  are  two  to  one  against 
the  Empire. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  199.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  18,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — As  soon  as  my  despatch  bag  had  been 
forwarded  to  Liverpool  on  the  14th  instant,  with  my  letter 
to  you  of  that  date,  I  hurried  to  the  House  of  Commons, 
and  sent  an  aid  to  witness  and  report  the  proceedings  of 
the  Lords. 

The  truth  is  that  more  than  the  usual  interestis  felt  at  this 
legation  as  to  the  result  of  the  vote  of  censure  on  the  pres- 
ent ministry,  proposed  by  Mr.  Gladstone  in  the  Commons 
and  Lord  Shaftesbury  in  the  Peers.  This  arises  from  a 
strong  impression  that  the  gentlemen  in  power  have  in 
twenty  various  ways  manifested  towards  the  United  States 
a  more  just  and  conciliatory  disposition  than  was  shewn 
by  their  predecessors. 

The  debate  in  the  upper  chamber  closed  on  the  evening 
it  began,  with  a  division  of  9  in  favor  of  government: — a 
small  majority,  which  would  have  been  smaller  had  Lord 
Aberdeen,  with  two  proxies  in  his  pocket,  remained  to 
vote.  The  announcement  was  cheered  by  the  opposition, 
who  expected  a  worse  defeat. 

Li  the  Commons,  the  discussion  is  unfinished,  and  may 
be  protracted  beyond  to-night.  It  was  opened  with  meas- 
ured care  by  Mr.  Cardwell,  who  was  poorly  seconded  by 
Mr.  Deasy,  and  was  fortified  only  when  Mr.  Lowe  and 
Lord  John  Russell  spoke.  The  weight  of  the  last  against 
the  cabinet  was  the  greater,  as  his  course  was  ascribed, 
more  or  less,  to  a  definite  understanding  with  Lord  Pal- 
merston  about  the  future.  An  adjournment  to  yesterday 
was  asrreed  to  after  midnie-ht.     The   defence  has  been 


TO  MR.  CASS.  23 

marked  by  great  ability  and  eloquence.  Certainly  the 
best  speech  I  have  heard  in  England  was  delivered  by 
Cairns,  the  Solicitor-General,  who  was  vigorously  aided 
by  Lord  Stanley.  Yesternight  the  debate  continued 
until  half-past  12,  the  principal  advocates  of  the  censure 
being  Sir  Charles  Wood,  and  Sir  George  C.  Lewis,  and 
against  it  Whiteside,  Roebuck,  and  Sir  Robert  Peel. 
It  was  again  adjourned,  to  be  resumed  this  afternoon. 

The  question  may  be  taken  to-night,  as  the  Races  are 
attractive :  possibly  it  may  be  suspended  till  Friday  next : — 
but  what  is  expected  to  be  the  result  ?  Judging  from  the 
sentiments  expressed  by  the  innumerable  experts  whom  I 
have  conversed  with,  the  result  may  be  considered  doubt- 
ful : — but  on  the  whole  I  incline  to  think  that  Lord  Derby 
must  sink  under  the  united  pressure  of  Liberals,  Peelites, 
and  crotchety  Radicals.  Let  us  hear,  however,  Palmer- 
ston,  Gladstone,  Graham,  and  Disraeli.  The  physiog- 
nomical expression  of  the  last,  in  his  seat  on  the  Treasury 
Bench,  imports  the  agony  of  crucitixion. 

Our  grand,  full-dress,  diplomatic,  annual.  Birthday  din- 
ner came  off  at  the  Foreign  Olfice  on  Saturday  last.  - 
Everybody,  not  excluding  Mr.  Cobb's  Commissioner  on 
International  Coinage,  was  in  appropriate  costume.  The 
Turkish  ambassador,  seated  on  Lord  AIalmesbury's?e/i( — not 
the  French  on  his  right — toasted  the  Queen :  and  shortly 
afterwards  a  little  epigram  in  action  made  me  and  others 
smile.  Our  host  had  to  embrace  in  one  sweeping  respon- 
sive sentiment  the  national  constituencies  of  all  his  guests. 
He  rose,  hemmed  repeatedly  as  Englishmen  invariably  do 
when  about  to  speak — ^^ Messieurs,  buvons  a  la  santedes  Sou- 
VEKAiNS  (here  his  eye  became  fixed  on  mine,  he  paused, 
hemmed  again,  and  suddenly  add'ed)  et  aux  Etats  do7it  les 
honorables  representants  soni  ■presents  F*  Of  course,  you 
remember  that  at  such  a  table,  even  in  London,  no  tongue 
can  be  admitted  as  either  " a  la  mode"  or  universal,  ex- 
cept the  French.  The  Duke  of  Malakoff,  I  understand, 
can  but  won't  speak  the  language  of  this  Court. 

Lord  Derby,  if  censured,  will  resort  to  a  dissolution: — 
in  doing  which  I  am  satisfied  that,  considering  the  condi- 
tion of  parties,  he  will  act  as  a  leader  most  unwisely. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


24  TO  MR.  dASS. 


No.  200.-TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  May  21,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  difference,  in  respect  to  us,  between 
the  Tory  cabinet  of  Lord  Derby  and  a  Liberal  ministry 
selected  and  headed  by  Lord  Palmerston,  is  perhaps  dis- 
tinctly illustrated  by  the  slip  which,  cut  from  the  Money 
Article  of  yesterday's  Times,  is  enclosed.  Contrasting  the 
recently  expressed  sentiments  of  Lord  Malmesbury,  as  to 
all  the  southern  portion  of  the  North  American  continent 
and  as  to  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty,  with  the  tone  of  this 
piece,  it  is  not  difficult  to  see  that  whereas  the  ins  are 
frankly  favorable  to  the  maintenance  of  the  most  pacific 
relations,  the  outs,  now  vehemently  struggling  for  restora- 
tion, are  disposed  to  pledge  themselves  to  an  opposite 
course.  In  the  existing  attitude  of  things,  I  cannot  wish 
success  to  the  pending  motion  of  censure  upon  the  govern- 
ment. 

That  motion  is  still  under  animated  debate.  Its  fate 
will,  no  doubt,  be  decided  by  2  o'clock  a.m.  to-morrow 
morning,  and  be  carried  as  the  latest  telegraphic  news 
from  Liverpool  to  Halifax  by  the  present  steamer.  I  have 
heretofore  thought  that  it  would  prevail  by  so  large  a 
majority  as  would  make  it  idle  for  Lord  Derby  to  resort 
to  a  dissolution.  Just  now,  appearances  and  impressions 
run  in  the  other  direction;  and  one  cannot  help  thinking 
that  there  is  a  great  probability  of  Mr.  Cardwell's  resolu- 
tion being  rejected,  or,  if  carried,  carried  by  so  small  a 
majority  as  would  entirely  justify  an  appeal  to  the  people. 
The  defence  has  been  conducted  with  a  striking  superior- 
ity of  boldness,  fairness,  and  ability  on  the  side  of  the 
ministers.  Two  important  men,  one  a  Peelite,  the  other 
a  Radical,  Sir  James  Graham  and  Mr.  Bright,  threw  their 
weight  into  the  scale  of  the  government  last  night.  Mr. 
Roebuck  states  in  private  that  the  censure  will  be  nega- 
tived by  a  decisive  vote: — but  he  is  a  sanguine  mutineer 
in  the  ranks  of  liberalism.  Lord  Palmerston,  who  ex- 
hibits quiet  confidence  in  the  result,  reserves  himself  ap- 
parently for  the  final  onset  of  this  evening,  and  will  rally 
his  whole  party  with  his  accustomed  skill.  But,  "lying 
low,"  ready  for  a  spring,  is  Disraeli,  and  "keeping  dark," 
to  shock  by  a  surprise,  is  Gladstone. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  25 

The  electoral  triumph  of  Migeon,  in  the  Haut  Rhiu 
department,  against  the  open  and  peremptory  injunctions 
of  the  Imperial  functionaries,  Canrobert,  Espinasae,  the 
Minister  of  Police,  and  the  Prefects,  is  a  manifestation 
strongly  resembling  those  which  first  developed  the  ex- 
istence of  our  secret  Know-Nothings.  The  candidate  had 
neither  character,  capacity,  nor  influence : — but,  without 
a  symptom  of  organized  eftbrt,  he  is  suddenly,  as  a  sign, 
lifted  to  alarm  Louis  Napoleon  on  the  score  of  his  favorite 
pretence  as  to  universal  suffrage.  This  "portent"  occa- 
sions much  remark. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  201.-TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  May  25,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  motion  to  censure  the  ministry 
broke  down  on  the  very  day  it  was  expected  to  triumph. 
The  adjournment  for  two  days  to  enable  members  to  at- 
tend the  Derby,  gave  just  time  enough  for  the  arrival  of 
explanatory  documents  from  India,  which  were  of  a  char- 
acter to  make  the  motion  too  palpably  unjust  to  be  farther 
pressed.  Its  withdrawal  was  loudly  called  for,  and  finally 
took  place  early  in  the  evening  of  the  21st  instant.  Per- 
haps it  might  still  have  been  urged  to  a  division,  but  that 
there  was  a  grim  lion  in  the  way  to  which  the  young 
members  were  unused  and  whose  aspect,  the  more  it  was 
looked  at,  the  more  terror  it  inspired.  The  dissolution  of 
Parliament,  positively  resolved  upon  by  the  Premier,  if 
the  attack  prevailed,  was  fraught  with  so  much  uncer- 
tainty, expense,  and  trouble,  that  a  large  number,  elected 
scarcely  a  year  ago,  could  not  bear  to  risk  its  possibility. 

The  efiiects  of  this  abortive  impeachment  may,  I  think, 
be  regarded  as  threefold.  1.  It  permanently  splits,  and 
so  kills,  the  Peelite  party.  2.  It  postpones  for  a  consider- 
able time  any  farther  assault,  and  will  probably  involve  in 
that  postponement  any  definite  legislation  as  to  India. 
3.  It  goes  very  far  to  produce  throughout  the  country 
an  impression  that  the  men  at  present  at  the  helm  un- 
derstand steering  a  little  better  than  their  opponents-,  and 


26  TO  MR.  CASS. 

may  be  safely  permitted  to  command  the  ship  until  some 
ruder  emergency  occur.  Lord  Derby  will  not  be  dis- 
turbed for  a  year  to  come;  and  the  condition  of  the 
Liberal  party  will  have  to  be  vastly  improved  by  the  sacri- 
fice of  personal  aspirations  and  antipathies,  before  it  can 
disturb  him  at  all.  I  repeat  what  I  have  before  said,  that 
I  do  not  perceive  as  yet  the  slightest  reason  why  the 
United  States  should  regret  the  ascendency  of  the  existing 
phase  of  conservatism  here. 

At  the  request  of  the  Royal  Geographical  Society,  I  at- 
tended their  session  of  yesterday,  and  received  for  the 
Superintendent  of  your  Coast  Survey,  the  great  Victoria 
Gold  Medal,  awarded  to  him  by  those  learned  pundits. 
It  is  transmitted  in  the  despatch  bag.* 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  202.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  4,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  must  bear  with  all  due  patience 
my  douche  of  despatches  by  to-day's  Bag.    If  I  could  only 

*  On  the  delivery  of  the  Medal,  the  following  remarks  were  addressed 
to  Sir  Eoderick  Murchison  : 

Mr.  President, — I  receive  with  much  gratification,  on  behalf  of  my 
eminent  fellow-citizen.  Professor  Alexander  D.  Bache,  this  mark  of  the 
approbation  of  your  learned  society. 

The  fame  of  her  sons  in  the  noble  brotherhood  of  science  is  a  most  cher- 
ished part  of  my  country's  wealth  and  strength  ;  and,  as  her  national 
representative,  I  thank  you,  gentlemen,  for  thus  adding  to  her  store. 

Professor  Bache  has  for  many  years  discharged  elevated,  interesting, 
and  arduous  duties  under  the  government  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
specially  fitted  for  these  by  academical  training  and  successes,  by  educa- 
tional labors,  by  an  intellect  at  once  lucid,  profound,  and  persevering, 
and  by  an  aptitude,  not  too  common  with  reserved  students  and  philoso- 
phers, for  practical  method  and  administration.  Without  adverting  to 
a  rich  series  of  prior  and  of  accessary  performances,  I  speak  with  entire 
certainty'in  saying  that  his  chief  work  (though  yet  uncompleted),  the 
Survey  of  the  American  Coasts,  Sounds,  and  Estuaries,  in  all  their  expan- 
sion, intricacies,  and  characteristics,  admirably  delineated  as  if  daguer- 
reotyped  in  charts  of  extraordinary  perfection,  has  earned  for  him  a  solid 
and  enduring  reputation  in  this,  as  in  our  own,  hemisphere. 

I  believe  him,  Sir,  in  every  respect  entitled  to  the  high  honor  you  con- 
fer by  awarding  this  Medal,  and  am  happy  in  being  made  by  your  dis- 
tinguished association  the  medium  of  its  safe  transmission. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  27 

effect  tliereby  a  perfect  ivater-cure,  that  is,  a  perfect  relief  of 
the  Seas  from  the  constipation  of  visitation  and  search,  it 
woukl  rather  please  me  than  otherwise  to  pour  out  a  del- 
uge by  every  opportunity  for  a  month  to  come.  Pray,  be 
enduring.  A  little  while,  and  that  word  '■'•discontinue,"  if 
quietly  but  steadily  used  (a  la  Foplicola),  will  put  into  the 
President's  bonnet  something  worth  a  whole  "forest  of 
feathers."  The  issue  has  been  impudently  forced  upon  us 
by  the  sudden  and  simultaneous  spanking  of  our  skippers, 
and  that  too  under  our  very  nose: — and  now  let  Jonathan 
keep  a  flock  of  starlings  to  iterate  and  reiterate,  at  every 
point  of  the  compass,  the  cry  of  '■'■discontinue,^'  in  every 
note  of  the  gamut,  ^'■advienique  j^oiirra," — not  "war"!  but 
"  discontinue  "! 

Yau  will  possibly  think  this  a  light  mode  of  treating  a 
grave  topic,  and  not  precisely  ambassadorial.  Well,  you 
are  entirely  right : — but  I  seek  a  temporary  relaxation 
from  the  oppressive  solemnity  of  remonstrance  at  the  For- 
eign Office,  and  I  cannot  but  feel  how  gloriously  right 
you  are. 

That  sweeping  search  of  our  shipping  at  Sagua  ought 
to  be,  as  the  French  say,  constate . with,  greater  amplitude 
and  authenticity.  It  is  the  grand  climacteric,  at  which 
every  independent  nation  will  startle  and  mutter  "  Shame !" 
The  informant  of  our  consul  may  be  mistaken,  and  the 
act  is  so  transcendently  outrageous  as  scarcely  to  be 
credible  from  the  lips  of  one  man  only. 

I  have  a  fine  group  of  compatriots  here  just  now : — the  ' 
Aikens,  the  Fishs,  the  Fishers,  the  Sparks,  the  Tot- 
tens: — but,  alas,  like  an  ill-omened  bird  whose  shadow 
deepens  the  blackness  of  the  storm,  onward  comes  flying 
the  perturbed  Senator !  This  advent  is  regarded  as  most 
unfortunate.  Will  your  minister  be  countermined  ?  If 
so,  have  we  not  a  penalty  in  the  Criminal  Code  ?  What 
says  your  Attorney-General  ?  If  I  had  a  modicum  of 
secret  service  money,  this  mole's  underground  activity 
might  be  w\atched  and  thwarted.  However,  a  good 
cause,  like  good  wine,  needs  no  bush.  Surveillance  is 
almost  as  mean  as  treachery. 

Sir  Edward  Bulwer  Lytton  has  entered  the  cabinet  and 
taken  the  Colonies  from  Lord  Stanley.  The  latter  is 
transferred  to  the  Presidency  of  the  Board  of  Control. 
Both  must  be  re-elected :  and  I  tremble  for  my  friend  the 


28  TO  MR.  CASS. 

great  novelist.  His  nerves  are  strung  to  the  trial,  and 
Ms  address  out.  Mr.  Gladstone,  after  nibbling  at  the  bait, 
peremptorily  darted  oif. 

While  your  representative  was  yesterday  distilling  his 
brains  to  form  a  decoction  at  once  powerful  and  pahitable 
for  Lord  Malmesbury,  the  Prime  Minister  of  England 
was  dashing  away,  indifferent  to  the  cares  of  Empire,  at 
the  Ascott  Races ! 

Mr.  Locke  King  succeeded,  the  night  before  last,  in  the 
House  of  Commons,  in  carrying  the  second  reading  of  his 
resolution  for  abolishing  the  property  qualification  of 
members,  by  a  majority  of  126.  A  pretty  broad  and  flat 
"vestige"  or  footprint  of  republican  progress!  The  old 
fogies  of  the  close-borough  genus,  especially  of  the  Ger- 
man order,  are  stupendously  aghast. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  203 -TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  June  11,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — "While  I  was  sending  my  last  despatch 
on  the  afternoon  of  the  8th  instant  by  the  Vanderbilt,  the 
Foreign  Secretary,  on  an  interpellation  by  Lord  Claren- 
don, was  giving  the  House  of  Lords  a  very  cautious  insight 
into  the  arrangement  I  had  effected  with  him  that  morn- 
ing. This,  I  presume,  you  have  seen.  All  right,  as  far 
as  it  goes.  It  made  me,  however,  rejoice  to  remember  that 
his  lordship  had  himself  made  a  ivritien  minute*  of  the 


*  The  "  Minute  "  is  as  follows  : 

"  Minute  of  Conver'sation  between  Mr.  Dallas  and  Lord  Malmesbury^ 
Junes,  1858." 

"  Her  Majesty's  government  are  not  prepared  ti)  justify  or  excuse  such 
acts  on  the  part  of  their  officers  as  have  been  complained  of  by  the  United 
States  government,  if  they  are  truly  reported. 

"Her  Majesty's  government  recognize  the  principles  of  international 
law  as  laid  down  bj^  General  Cass  in  his  note  of  the  10th  of  April,  '58, 
and  that  nothing  in  the  Treaty  of  1842  supersedes  that  law. 

"Her  Majesty's  government,  however,  think  it  most  indispensable,  in 
the  interest  of  civilization  and  the  police  of  the  Seas,  that  there  should  be 


TO  MR.  CASS.  29 

agreed  points.  Had  these  points  been  less  full  and  dis- 
tinct, there  would  have  been  no  agreement  at  all.  His 
speech  bears  marks  of  an  apprehension  that  he  will  be 
attacked  for  having  3nelded.  Our  old  Palmerstonian 
haters  are  said  to  be  already  on  his  track : — but  they  will 
be  kept  at  bay  by  the  threat  of  exposing  the  orders  issued 
to  British  naval  officers  by  the  former  government,  which 
are  hinted  to  have  involved  not  merely  a  search  against 
slave-traders,  but  one  also  against  William  Walker  and 
his  associate  filibusters.  At  the  royal  ball,  the  night  be- 
fore last,  I  was  assured,  with  emphasis,  by  one  of  the  min- 
istry, that  he  positively  knew  what  had  caused  and  motived 
the  sudden  outrages  upon  our  vessels  : — he  did  not  feel  at 
liberty  to  communicate  it:  but  it  would  come  out.  The 
men  now  in  power  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  He  rather 
thought  too  much  had  been  conceded,  but,  he  added,  I  am 
content,  as,  rather  than  bring  our  two  countries  into  col- 
lision, I  would  concede  a  great  deal  more. 

My  colleagues  of  the  diplomatic  corps  have,  one  after 
another,  expressed  their  congratulations.  They  seem  to 
regard  with  pleasure  every  check  given  to  the  maritime 
arrogance  of  England.  Even  Malakoli"  said  he  supposed 
I  was  now  in  good  humor,  or  softened.  There  is  no 
country  in  Europe  which  does  not  look  upon  the  Right  of 
Search  as  a  weapon  in  the  hands  of  a  single  bully: — espe- 
cially since  your  famous  letter  which  stopped  Louis  Phi- 
lippe's signing  the  Quintuple  Treaty.* 

a  power  of  verifying  the  nationality  of  a  vessel  suspected  on  good  grounds 
of  carrying  false  colors. 

"Her  Majesty's  government  would  wish  to  learn  from  the  United 
States  government  their  views  in  detail  on  this  point,  in  the  hope  that 
some  mutual  arrangement,  by  way  of  proceedings  to  be  executed  by  our 
respective  officers,  may  be  found  effective,  without  being  offensive. 

"  The  French  liave  lately  proposed  and  laid  down  this  rule,  viz.:  that 
a  boat  may  be  sent  alongside  of  a  suspected  ship  and  m&y  ask  for  papers, 
but  not,  unless  invited,  board  the  vessel.  Such  is  our  arrangement  with 
France. 

"Lord  Malmcsbury  has  given  Mr.  Dallas  a  copy  of  our  instructions  to 
our  officers.  Pending  our  negotiations  on  the  above  point,  orders  will 
be  given  to  discontinue  search  of  American  vessels." 

*  Diary:  July  17,  '58. — "At  11  o'clock  p.m.  went  to  General  Peel's. 
Here  met  for  the  first  time  Mr.  Guizot.  A  small  figure,  white  hair  and 
crowning  scratch,  dressed  in  black,  with  large  star  on  his  left  breast,  and 
much  activity  of  manner.  His  eye  remarkably  fine  and  expressive.  He 
boarded  me  at  once  with  a  compliment  for  having  removed  the  last 
source  of  quarrel  between  this  country  and  the  United  States.  He  said 
he  had  tried  the  same  thing  while  here  as  French  Envoy,  but  could  ac- 


30  TO  MR.  CASS. 

We  have  apprehended  some  contest  with  the  vessels 
you  have  ordered  to  the  West  Indies.  Although  far  from 
afraid  to  measure  swords  the  third  time,  I  hope,  as  dis- 
claimer and  discontinuance  have  promptly  followed  your 
demand,  that  we  shan't  be  embroiled  just  now. 

The  Magara  left  Plymouth  yesterday,  on  the  final  trial 
to  submerge  the  cable  and  unite  the  two  continents.  I 
have  my  doubts  : — as  the  experimental  trip  had  its  acci- 
dents.    We  shall  know  the  result  in  three  weeks  or  less. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  204.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  22,  1858 

My  dear  Sir, — The  two  principles  of  the  Manchester 
men — peace  at  any  price  and  anti-slavery — came  into  con- 
flict on  our  subject,  and  you  will  see  by  the  debates  that 
the  latter  has  been  made  to  kick  the  beam.  Mr.  Bright, 
their  leader,  will  not  consent  to  force  philanthropy  down 
revolting  throats  at  the  point  of  the  sword. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  the  ministry  of  Lord  Derby 
has  continued  in  the  groove  of  good  luck.  They  obtained, 
on  demand,  £3000  for  Watt  and  Parke,  and,  without  any 
demand,  the  Cagliari  for  Piedmont.  This  sort  of  fortune 
imparts  a  prestige  which  is  often  equivalent  to  actual 
strength.  Lord  Malmesbury  in  addressing  Carafa  seems 
to  have  taken  a  leaf  from  our  book. 

English  ill-will  on  the  subject  of  the  slave-trade  takes 
a  strong  direction  against  France.  In  the  recent  discus- 
sion of  the  Lords,  language  of  bitter  blame  was  not  spared. 
It  will  farther  concentrate  there,  when  the  letter  of  Mr. 
Cobb  to  the  Collector  of  Charleston  becomes  known.  The 
press  here  is  in  the  habit  of  saying  that  we  secretly  import 
slaves  through  Cuba : — the  Secretary  nails  the  falsehood 

complish  nothing.  It  was  a  great  'resultat,'  and  would  be  felt  every- 
where. Enquired  about  the  President's  health : — he  had  seen  him  in 
Paris  about  two  weeks  before  his  linal  return  to  America.  I  shall  prob- 
ably permanently  regard  this  accidental  meeting  with  Guizot  as  among 
the  most  agreeable  incidents  of  my  mission  to  London.  However  de- 
batable he  may  be,  he  has  made  a  strong  mark  on  his  times  as  a  states- 
man and  an  author." 


TO  MR.  S AWARD.  31 

on  the  front,  and  I  shall  try  to  have  it  generally  seen. 
"No  admittance  here !" 

Much  is  printed,  and  more  spoken,  about  the  quiet 
armament  of  France.  In  private  circles  anxiety  and  sus- 
picion are  apparent.  Each  neighbor  is  on  the  look-out: 
Belgium,  Austrian  Italy,  and  England. 

IsTothing  yet  from  the  squadron  engaged  on  the  sub- 
Atlantic  cable.  Indeed,  as  they  start  the  submerging  in 
mid-ocean,  we  cannot  hear  anything  with  certainty  before 
the  way  is  completed  by  attaching  one  end  at  Valentia. 
The  Foreign  Secretary  and  I  have  interchanged  notes  pre- 
paratory to  the  transmission  of  messages.  If  it  succeed, 
however,  this  will  be  rather  late  notice  to  you. 

There  is  a  vague  rumor  that  the  Emperor  is  somewhat 
dissatisfied  with  his  Ambassador  in  London : — that  this 
great  functionary  has  sliewn  towards  the  Duke  d'Aumale 
too  warm  a  sense  of  Algeriue  reminiscences,  quite  an  in- 
convenient explosion  of  old  companionship: — that,  be- 
sides, his  brusquerie  among  the  ladies  of  the  Court  has  occa- 
sioned some  extravagant  scenes;  and,  in  fine,  that  he  him- 
self feels  like  a  fish  out  of  water,  and  longs  to  return  to 
his  Parisian  element.     '•'■Se  non  e  vero,"  etc. 

The  heat  has  been  more  oppressive  than  any  I  have  be- 
fore known  here.  Thermometer  in  the  shade  91  and  92. 
The  efiluvia  from  the  Thames  alarms  Parliament  and 
threatens  disease.  There  is,  however,  enough  unfinished 
public  business  to  keep  the  session  going  for  at  least 
another  month.  Lord  Derby  has  been  incapacitated  by 
illness  for  attendance  during  a  week  past. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  205.-T0  ME.  SAWAED. 

London,  June  22,  1858. 

Sir, — I  will  thank  you  to  present  to  the  Directors  of  the 
Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  my  cordial  acknowledg- 
ments for  the  case  of  specimens  of  the  component  parts  of 
their  cable  which  you  were  kind  enough  to  send  me  yes- 
terday.    It  is  a  most  interesting  and  highly  appreciated 


32  TO  MR.  CASS. 

memorial  of  a  vast  undertaking  whose  success  will  be 
hailed  with  exultation  by  all  civilized  humanity. 
Accept  the  assurance  of  my  sincere  esteem. 

Most  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  206.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  25,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Bishop  of  Oxford's  hereditary  horror 
of  slave-trading  has  drawn  the  House  of  Lords  as  it  were 
to  the  confessional,  and  they  have  made  a  clear  breast  of 
it  as  respects  the  coolies.  The  middle  passage  was  nothing 
worse  than  the  accurate  exposures  of  Lord  Carnarvon. 
Here  was  a  vindication  of  America  for  you  !  Here  was 
something  with  which  Walewski  might  unanswerably 
twit  the  expounders  of  the  "modern  requirements  of  a 
higher  morality"  !  Nothing  was  left  to  the  magnates  but 
to  get  angry  with  themselves  and  the  rest  of  mankind: 
and  certainly  the  language  of  Earls  Grey  and  Malmesbury, 
of  Brougham,  Clarendon  and  others,  exhibited  unsparing 
and  undiscriminating  rage.  It  is  quite  interesting  to  note 
the  ferocity  of  the  attack  upon  the  great  ally  whom  their 
post-prandial  eloquence  is  apt  to  make  an  idol  of.  The 
British  Peers  and  the  Parisian  press  are  interchanging  a 
brisk  fire  of  ^^ falsehood,"  ^^infami/,"  '■'- hypocrisy,^'  ^'■barbar- 
ity" '•'■murder"  and  other  equally  courteous  accusations. 
Of  course,  an  occasional  shot  strays  to  the  United  States : 
but,  like  eels,  we  are  used  to  skinning ;  and,  on  the  whole, 
the  two  new  targets,  Spain  and  France,  have  been  much 
worse  riddled  than  we.  That  affair  of  the  "  Regina  Cceli," 
in  which  t\iQ  fettered  free  laborers  rose  upon  the  crew  and 
butchered  all  but  the  surgeon,  is  not  without  its  parallel 
on  our  record.  Lord  Brougham,  like  Mr.  Adams,  thought 
the  "killing  no  murder."  ^Notwithstanding  all  this,  the 
Duke  of  Malakotf,  the  daj^  before  yesterday,  at  the  Lord 
Mayor's  dinner  to  her  Majesty's  ministers,  was  embalmed 
in  unguents  of  flattery  and  applause !  There  is  an  inexpli- 
cable subserviency  to  the  alliance,  which  may  possibly  out- 
live fanatical  anti-slavery;  rival  pretenders  just  now. 

The  horrible  condition  of  the  Thames,  aggravated  by 


TO  MR.  SAWARD.  33 

unusually  hot  weatlier,  is  the  universal  town  talk.  The 
parliamentary  windows,  overlooking  the  widespread  flats 
of  poisonous  filth  at  low  tide,  have  to  be  tightly  closed; 
and  so  the  heat  becomes  in  its  turn  insufferable.  The 
sickening  odors,  however,  cannot  be  excluded  from  the 
passage  ways  and  committee  rooms,  and  these  furnish  a 
second-hand  supply  to  the  Lords  and  Commons.  Perhaps 
the  matter  may  be  exaggerated  by  those  who  want  to 
adjourn. 

Nothing  yet  from  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Squadron. 
We  ought  to  hear  in  a  week.  I  reminded  the  Foreign 
Secretary  by  note  of  the  preparation  made  last  year  for 
inaugurating  the  cable  by  messages  between  the  Queen 
and  the  President,  and,  at  his  request,  sent  him  a  copy  of 
what  Lord  Clarendon  had  intended  should  be  first  trans- 
mitted. He  will  probably  use  it,  if  he  have  a  chance :  and 
of  that  you  will  b'e  -apprised  before  receiving  this  letter. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  207.-T0  LORD  MALMESBUEY. 

London,  July  2,  1858. 

My  dear  Lord  Malmesbury, — Your  message  of  last 
evening  will  be  forwarded  to  Valentia  without  delay. 

I  hoije  it  may  be  in  time  to  inaugurate  the  work,  and  yet 
I  fear  it  will  have  to  wait  another  year  or  two.  Shoals 
of  my  countrymen,  arrived  by  the  last  steamers,  represent 
the  weather  to  have  been  very  unpromising,  if  not  un- 
manageable. 

Always  faithfully  your  lordship's 

Most  obedient  servant. 


.     No.  208 -TO  MK.  SAWAED. 

London,  July  2,  1858. 
My  dear  Sir, — Conforming  to  the  course  intended  to 
have  been  pursued  last  year,  I  transmit  to  you  the  eu- 

VOL.  II. — 3 


34  TO  MR.  CASS. 

closed  from  the  Foreign  Office,  containing  the  message 
which  it  is  desired  may  be  the  Jirst  or  inaugurating  one 
sent  across  the  Atlantic  to  the  President  of  the  United 
States,  as  soon  as  the  communication  is  established.  Pray 
let  me  hear  of  its  safely  reaching  your  hands: — and  should 
any  unexpected  circumstances  prevent  the  attainment  of 
its  object,  you  will  oblige  me  by  returning  the  package 
unopened.  Ardently  wishing  success  to  your  great  under- 
taking, 

I  am  very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  209.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  July  6,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  put  into  the  Bag  to-day  a  long  narrow 
box  addressed  to  Mr.  Cobb,  which  I  will  thank  you  to 
have  sent  to  the  Treasury  Department.  It  contains  draw- 
ings of  the  life-boat  preferred  in  this  country,  and  which 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland,  on  behalf  of  the  Society 
over  which  he  presides,  wishes  to  engage  the  attention  of 
our  government,  I  enclose  also  copies  of  the  two  letters 
written  upon  the  subject. 

They  are  still  fashioning  upon  the  parliamentary  anvil 
a  government  for  India.  Perhaps,  as  the  bill  was  last 
night  ordered  to  be  reported  to  the  House,  it  will  soon  be 
adopted  and  sent  to  the  Lords.  That  job  accomplished, 
there  will  be  great  anxiety  to  adjourn,  as  the  Thames  con- 
tinues to  throw  out  a  most  disturbing  effluvia. 

Her  Majesty  has  gone  to  Osborne;  and,  as  soon  as  Par- 
liament disperses,  designs  visiting  German}^,  expecting  to 
meet  her  daughter  the  Princess  Roval  at  Cologne. 

I  am  hoping  to  receive  by  the  steamer  which  will  be 
due  the  day  after  to-morrow,  a  despatch  from  you  on  the 
subject  of  the  "ifiwiwfe;"  for  although  I  have  been  ap- 
prised of  its  safe  arrival,  my  solicitude  is  not  quite  extinct, 
and  will  not  be  until  I  hear  from  you. 

•     Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  35 


No.  210.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  July  16,  1858. 

jSIy  dear  Sir, — The  Queen  must,  of  course,  keep  her 
engagement  with  the  Emperor,  to  grace  the  festivities  at 
Cherhourg,  by  a  sliort  stoppage  on  her  way  to  Cologne, 
and  so,  perforce,  Parliament  must  adjourn  before  the  4th 
of  August.  It  is  easy  to  create  a  necessity,  when  the 
moors  are  attractive  and  the  Thames  offensive.  You  hear 
a  grumbler,  now  and  then,  like  Mr.  Charles  Villiers,  while 
he  throws  an  angry  glance  across  the  Channel  towards  the 
frowning  fortification,  ask,  "  Wh}^  does  her  Majesty  go  re- 
joicing there?"  but  such  rough  notions  and  suspicious 
jealousies  are  injurious  to  the  alliance;  and,  though  deeply 
felt  in  honest  humbler  classes,  are  repudiated  by  Court  and 
ministry. 

It  is  difficult  to  avoid  seeing  how  closely  the  ties  are 
drawing  between  Russia  and  France.  The  meeting  at 
Stutgard  is  fructifying  fast.  The  night  before  last,  while 
"assisting"  at  a  ball  in  the  hotel  of  the  Russian  Embassy, 
I  stood  for  five  minutes  ruminating  before  two  magnifi- 
cent full-length  portraits,  just  put  up,  of  Louis  !N"apoleon 
and  Eugenie  !  Ex  pede  Herculern.  Nothing  i n  themselves ; 
only,  going  back  for  a  couple  of  short  years,  one  thinks 
of  the  ants  in  amber  and  wonders  "how  the  devil  they 
got  there."  The  recent  flagrant  massacres  of  Christians 
at  Jidda,  and  in  Candia,  by  Mussulman  mobs  may  give 
rise  to  a  fresh  enquirj^  about  the  condition  of  "the  sick 
man,"  under  a  new  combination  of  the  consultative  faculty. 

You  will  have  noticed  how  exceeding  angry,  indeed  irre- 
pressibly  furious,  Spain  has  been  at  the  language  used  in 
the  House  of  Lords,  and  especially  by  the  Earl  of  Malmes- 
bury,  on  her  slave-trade  connivances.  A  word,  said  the 
Times  in  reply,  from  his  lordship,  would  give  Cuba  to  the 
United  States.  The  Thunderer,  indeed,  seems  so  exasper- 
ated that  he  has  been  known  to  insist  in  private,  as  well 
as  preach  in  public,  that'  the  fanatics  against  the  traffic 
can  best  and  easiest  extingliish  it  by  transferring  the  jewel 
of  the  Antilles  to  the  zone  of  Columbia.  Mr.  Cobb's 
letter,  prohibiting  the  desired  clearance  for  a  vessel  avow- 
edly destined  to  bring  a  return  cargo  of  Congo  free  labor- 


36  TO  MR.  CASS. 

ers,  has  produced  an  agreeable  surprise.  It  could  scarcely 
at  lirst  be  credited  as  anything  but  an  elaborate  and  in- 
genious hoax — like  Locke's  wonders  of  the  Moon — but  it 
crept  into  the  Globe,  and  is  producing  much  sober 
thought. 

Accounts  from  India  are  bad.  The  mutiny  is  spreading 
through  all  the  Central  districts.  The  numbers  and  re- 
sources of  the  rebels  seem  constantly  on  the  increase.  The 
scorching  heat  is  decimating  the  European  forces.  A 
speculation  admits  as  far  from  impossible  that  their  armies 
may  be  driven  for  refuge  and  be  besieged  in  Calcutta, 
Madras,  and  Bombay : — there  finding  safety  in  their  in- 
exhaustible navy.  It  would  be  a  curious  fact,  if,  as  the 
Lords  finish  the  Government  of  India  bill,  they  perceived 
that  there  was  no  India  to  govern!  Yet,  it  is  within  the 
range  of  possibilities,  or,  as  gamblers  say,  "within  the 
cards."  Their  total  eftective  strength  has  dwindled  to 
26,000  men. 

The  President  has  failed  to  receive  the  sub- Atlantic  mes- 
sage of  the  Queen.  The  fates  are  averse.  All  the  elements, 
above  and  below,  combined  against  it.  A  more  fearful 
storm  than  that  wliich  separated  the  vessels  and  enraged 
the  sea,  cannot  well  be  imagined.  It  is  a  miracle  that  the 
Agamemnon  survived.  And  yet  the  tempest  is  not  the 
gloomiest  occurrence  of  the  abortive  effort.  There  is  a 
sad  sense  of  a  mysterious  and  unfathomable  agency  of 
some  sort  in  the  "lowest  deep,"  which  takes  the  liberty, 
at  discretion,  to  treat  the  cable  as  a  thread  of  sand: — 
separating,  perhaps  dissolving  it,  without  any  kind  of 
warning  and  at  the  most  promising  moment!  Here  is  a 
problem  which  may  baffie  even  Lieutenant  Maury,  unless 
some  modern  Empedocles  will  do  the  world  the  favor  to 
engage  the  Nautilus,  and  dive  three  miles  to  verify  the 
subaqueous  facts.  It  is  a  terrible  lion  crouched  in  the 
pathway  of  the  spark. 

'Eo  doubt  you  are  suffering  from  incessant  toil  and  a 
burning  sun:  and  I  would  not  have  my  solicitude  relieved 
at  the  cost  of  a  single  additional  grain  to  your  heap  of 
troubles.  Only  bear  with  me  while  I  say  that  you  have 
had  that  little  "J/mwfe"  about  visit  and  search  ever  since 
the  21st  of  June,  or  twenty-five  days,  without  a  word  to 
say  what  you  think  of  it.  Mr.  Fitzgerald,  to  be  sure,  has 
eased  me  off  in  some  measure  by  reading  to  the  House  of 


TO  MR.  CASS.  37 

Commons  Lord  Napier's  official  narrative  of  his  interview 
with  you  on  the  subject.  But  I  had  rather  get  a  mono- 
syllable from  yourself  than  a  quarto  from  his  lordship.  I 
have  a  faint  hope  that  the  Persia,  due  to-morrow,  may  be 
freighted  with  a  line  for  me. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  211 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  July  23,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  day  after  the  departure  of  the  Eu- 
ropa  I  received,  as  was  expected,  your  welcome  letter  of 
the  1st  July,  by  the  Persia. 

The  generous  notice  you  take  of  my  course  in  bringing 
about  the  abandonment  of  the  vexed  and  vexatious  pre- 
tension of  visit  and  search,  is  most  valued  because  it  as- 
sures me  of  your  continued  friendship.  I  did  my  best, 
in  seizing  the  occasion: — but  what  would  that  have 
availed,  without  the  firm  attitude  and  language  of  the 
President,  and  your  overwhelming  letter  to  Lord  I^apier 
of  the  10th  of  April  ?  Armed  with  such  weapons  as  these, 
almost  self-acting,  it  was  enough  to  follow  the  injunction 
"  Carpe  diem,''  and  point  them  at  the  adversary. 

I  do  not  think  it  enters  into  the  policy  or  character  of 
this  government  or  people  ever  to  resume  an  international 
doctrine  which  they  have  once  formally  surrendered. 
They  fight  to  the  last  for  a  false  position  which  props  a  bad 
practice,  but  the  instant  they  give  it  up,  they  rather  hurry 
to  deny  they  ever  took  it.  This  is  a  result  of  an  exorbi- 
tant self-respect,  the  rivalry  of  political  factions,  and  a 
quickly  detective  press.  Hence,  I  did  not  anticipate  that 
the  "  Minute"  of  what  was  settled  at  the  interview  between 
Lord  Malmesbury  and  myself  on  the  8th  of  June,  could 
occasion  doubt  or  misgiving.  When  those  big  fates,  com- 
monly called  big  wigs,  the  "law  officers  of  the  Crown," 
harmonized  with  Lord  Derby's  policy,  and  made  a  clean 
breast  by  honestly  and  frankly  avowing  the  soundness  of 
your  public  law,  visit  and  search  fell  dead,  and  went  to 
that  bourn  whence  no  mere  expedient  subtleties  ever  re- 
turn.    Peaceful  resurrection  is  impossible.     As  to  war,  its 


38  TO  MR.  CASS. 

chances,  instabilities,  and  vainglorious  fruits  are  proverb- 
ial:— and  were  force  ever  resorted  to  to  restore  a  disclaimed 
principle,  all  we  could  do — and  that  is  the  ultima  securitas 
— is  to  invoke  Shakespeare  and  cry  "lay  on,  Macduff, 
and  d — d  be  he  who  lirst  cries  hold,  enough."  England 
will  never  try  our  mettle  again;  and  least  of  all  on  this 
confessedly  untenable  pretence. 

The  Atlantic  Cable  Squadron  are  out  again  on  their 
desperate  enterprise.  None  but  enthusiasts  look  for  suc- 
cess. They  left  Queenstown  on  Sunday  last,  and  we  may 
hear  of  them  again  in  ten  days. 

The  Queen's  visit  to  Louis  ITapoleon  at  Cherbourg,  like 
that  of  Sheba  to  Solomon,  will  be  an  affair  of  much  osten- 
tation. Her  Majesty  proposes  to  have  a  train  of  ministers, 
peers,  and  members  of  the  House  of  Commons,  flounced 
off  by  a  fleet  of  some  twenty  ships  of  war !  Newspapers 
affect  great  indignation  at  her  going,  and  have  urged  a 
"town  meeting"  to  stop  her.  When  Victoria  once  an- 
nounces her  purpose,  after  accepting  an  invitation,  all 
that's  left  is  to  shrug  one's  shoulders  and  make  the  best 
of  it.  A  resolution  against  her  Majesty  would  be  hooted 
down  even  in  "Rag  Fair." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  212.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  July  30,  1858. 

My  deae  Sir, — You  will  have  noticed  that  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst,  in  asking  for  the  production  of  papers  on  Monday 
the  26th  instant,  prefaced  his  capital  speech  by  quoting 
from  the  Times  report  of  my  remarks  at  our  4th  of  July 
celebration  here.*    *Those  remarks  had  their  purpose,  and 

*  The  report  in  the  Times  of  the  5th  of  July,  '58,  was  as  follows  : 
"His  Excellency  Mr.  Dallas  rose  to  acknowledge  the  toast,  and  was 
received  with  loud  cheers.  He  said, — Mr.  Chairman  and  Fellow-Citi- 
zens, I  had  promised  myself,  in  consequence  of  continued  ill-health  for 
some  time  past,  to  abstain  from  anj'thing  so  exciting-  as  public  speaking; 
but  it  is,  unfortunately,  the  4th  of  July  (laughter  and  cheers),  and  I  tind 
it  impossible  to  remain  silent  on  such  a  day  after  you  have  received  the 
mention  of  my  humble  name  so  kindly  and  so  cordially.  A  few  years 
ago  it  would  have  been  thought  discourteous  and  intrusive  had  one  or 


TO  MR.  CASS.  39 

have  attained  it.  The  slis^ht  doubt  hinted  in  some  news- 
papers, as  to  the  extent  of  the  renunciation  on  the  board- 
more  American  citizens  ventured  upon  the  celebration  of  the  4th  of  July, 
1776,  in  the  great  city  of  London.  The  old  wounds  were  still  fresh,  old 
feelings  still  survived,  aiid  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  who  were  here 
had  the  good  taste  as  well  as  the  forbearance  not  to  do  that  which  might 
have  been  misconstrued  so  as  to  be  disagreeable  to  those  among  whom 
they  were  residing.  (Hear,  hear.)  But  now,  gentlemen,  we  feel  much 
more  at  ease.  The  principles  of  the  American  revolution  have  gone  on 
conquering  and  to  conquer.  (Cheers.)  They  have  received  the  approba- 
tion, cordially  but  certainly,  of  all  the  wise  and  good  in  England  as  well 
as  in  the  United  States.  They  have  become  perfectly  well  understood — 
they  have  beaten  down  the  impressions  of  hostility  which,  being  misun- 
derstood, they  originally  created.  The  principles  of  the  American  revo- 
lution are  acceptable  here  as  they  are  at  home.  (Cheers.)  The  men  of 
our  heroic  days — our  Washingtons,  our  Jeft'ersons,  our  Madisons,  and 
our  heroes  in  the  battle-field,  are  known  now  in  England  almost  as  well 
as  they  are  in  the  United  States,  and  are  honored  as  much  here  as  there. 
(Cheers.)  The  progress,  then,  of  the  principles  of  the  Kevolution  of  the 
United  States  has  been  striking,  and  has  produced  that  to  which  I  have 
already  adverted — the  propriety  of  our  meeting  to  celebrate  the  origin  of 
those  principles  in  London  as  well  as  elsewhere.  (Hear,  hear.)  Do  not 
for  a  moment  suppose  that  I  am  availing  myself  of  a  detached  part  of  the 
toast  just  given  in  order  to  draw  the  conclusion  that  the  recognition  of 
those  principles  has  been  brought  about  in  any  degree  by  the  diplomacy 
of  the  United  States.  ('Hear,'  and  a  laugh.)  The  truth  is — and  you 
are,  perhaps,  not  aware  of  the  fact — that  we  have  no  American  diplomacy. 
(A  laugh.)  In  England  and  on  the  Continent  diplomacy  is  a  lifelong 
career.  With  us.it  is  nothing  of  the  sort.  American  diplomacy,  com- 
pared to  European  diplomacy,  maybe  likened  to  the  militia  as  contrasted 
with  the  regular  army.  (Laughter.)  To  be  sure,  in  the  United  States, 
from  the  outset,  we  have  always  had  a  partiality  for  the  militia.  (Hear, 
hear.)  Our  first  military  achievements  were  gained  by  men  among  whom 
were  some  of  the  rawest  possible  militia.  ('Hear,'  and  a  laugh.)  And 
it  has  so  happened,  probably  by  accident,  that  our  militia  has  over  and 
over  again  proved  equal  to  the  best  regulars  of  Europe.  (Cheers.)  It 
is  in  that  way,  perhaps,  that  the  diplomacy  of  the  United  States  has 
been  able  to  do  something  towards  giving  expansion  and  popularity'  to  the 
principles  of  the  American  revolution.  Although  our  Ministers  abroad 
have  been  drawn  from  the  ranks  of  private  and  professional  life,  on  very 
many  occasions,  at  the  most  distinguished  Courts  of  Europe  and  through- 
out the  world,  in  conflict,  or  rather  in  argument,  with  the  most  refined  di- 
plomatists of  any  country,  those  militiamen  of  .diplomacy  have  achieved 
remarkable  success.  (Hear,  hear.)  I  might  refer,  if  I  were  disposed  to 
empty  upon  you  the  archives  of  the  American  Legation  here  or  elsewhere 
(a  laugh),  to  many  striking  instances  of  this  kind  ;  and  as  I  propose  to  con- 
clude my  remarks  by  suggesting  a  particular  name  to  your  approbation,  it 
may  be  proper  to  say  that  the  list  of  our  American  diplomatists,  beginning 
with  Benjamin  Franklin,  Thomas  Jefferson,  James  Monroe,  and  William 
Pinkney,  includes  a  long  array  of  illustrious  'militiamen  diplomatists,' 
who  have  left  behind  them  a  record  of  the  most  glowing  and  gratifying 
character.  (Cheers.)  At  this  very  Court  some  of  my  predecessors  may 
be  compared  to  the  very  best  of  the  drilled  cohorts  of  European  diplo- 
macy.    There  is  one  little  comment,  which  is  to  a  certain  extent  connected 


40  TO  MR.  CASS. 

ing  question,  and  the  reticence  of  ministerial  M.  P.'s  when 
interpellated,  seemed  to  make  it  important  that  the  exact 
character  of  what  had  been  done  should  be  fixed  before 
Parliament  adjourned,  and  before  the  possible  contingency 
of  a  change  from  Derby  to  Palmerston  could  take  place. 
The  post-prandial  device  worked  to  a  charm : — and  Lords 
Lyndhurst  and  Malmesbury  have  left  nothing  to  desire  in 
their  public  and  precise  avowals.  The  same  thing  as  to 
the  press.  And  now  England,  through  her  omnipotent 
Wittenagemote,  through  all  her  leading  journals,  specially 
the  Thunderer  and  Lord  Palmerston's  organ,  as  well  as  by 
table  oratory,  is  made  to  know  the  identical  pretension 
her  government  has  finally  withdrawn  from  as  illegal. 
After-claps,  such  as  followed  the  Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty, 
are  impossible.  By  a  lucky  accident,  Mr.  John  Y.  Mason 
and  myself  were  in  the  diplomatic  gallery  when  Lord 
Lyndhurst  addressed  the  Peers.  I  felt  personally  a  little 
awkward  at  being  present  to  hear  my  own  name  men- 
tioned:— but  the  gratification  of  your  Parisian  representa- 
tive at  the  force  and  lucidity  of  the  Sage  of  87  years  was 
unmeasured.  It  was,  indeed,  a  rare  realization  of  Homer's 
iSTestor  : — and  it  beat  down  the  assault  of  mere  party. 

with  American  diplomacy,  on  which  I  will  say  a  word.  You  know  that  we 
have  recently  had  some  little  difficulties  on  the  coasts  of  the  United  States 
and  in  the  West  Indian  Sea  (hear) — a  matter  with  which,  as  one  of  the 
militiamen  in  the  diplomacy  of  the  United  States,  I  was  lately  charged. 
Now,  without  referring  to  that  question  more  closely,  it  is  a  point  which 
is  essentially  connected  with  one  of  the  fundamental  principles  of  the 
American  revolution, — that  principle  being  the  necessity  of  maintaining 
on  behalf  of  the  great  American  people,  as  a  great  community,  the  inde- 
pendence of  their  flag.  (Cheers.)  Well,  I  am  not  going  to  argue  the 
question  as  to  visit  and  search.  It  has  been  over  and  over  again,  for 
years  back,  argued  and  re-argued.  But  I  should  like  on  the  4th  of  July 
to  announce  to  my  fellow-countrymen  that  visit  and  search  in  regard  to 
American  vessels  on  the  high  seas  in  time  of  peace  is  frankly  and  finally 
ended.  (Tremendous  cheering,  the  whole  company  rising  and  manifest- 
ing the  liveliest  enthusiasm.)  While,  gentlemen,  I  am  able  to  announce 
this  gratifying  fact,  I  think  it  ought  also  to  be  accompanied  by  the  assur- 
ance that  the  termination  of  that  for  which  we  have  struggled  for  nearly 
half  a  century  has  been  brought  about  with  a  degree  of  honorable  candor 
and  fair  dealing  on  the  part  of  the  British  government  which  is  worthy 
of  every  acknowledgment  on  our  part.  (Loud  cheers.)  With  a  view  to 
draw  these  remarks  to  a  close,  I  beg  leave  to  oiferyou  as  a  toast  the  name 
of  one  of  the  earliest  representatives  alike  of  the  principles  of  the  Ameri- 
can revolution  and  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States — I  mean 
Thomas  Jefterson,  the  author  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  (Loud 
cheers.) 

"The  toast  was  drunk  in  solemn  silence." 


TO  MR.  CASS.  41 

Cherbourg  will  throw  into  shade  the  Field  of  Golden 
Cloth.  But  her  Majest}'^  will  not,  as  has  been  erroneously 
rumored,  be  escorted  by  a  large  fleet : — nor  will  her  sub- 
jects cease  to  grumble  or  soon  forget  this  her  first  omis- 
sion to  uphold  their  national  pride.  Lord  Derby  did  not 
foresee  or  he  would  have  deprecated  an  invitation.  As  it 
is,  "there's  nothing  left  for  it!" 

The  American  horse  "Charleston,"  running  for  the 
Groodwood  Cup,  has  been  terribly  beaten,  coming  in  only 
7th.  The  Niagara  and  the  electric  cable  are  unheard  of 
since  leaving  Queenstown  for  a  re-trial.  The  driving  cur- 
rent of  American  travellers  to  the  Continent  knows  no 
abatement.     It  is  a  social  phenomenon. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  213 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

*  London,  August  6,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  salvos  of  artillery  at  the  meeting  of 
the  Sovereigns  3^esterday  in  the  basin  of  Cherbourg  were 
drowned  by  the  sudden  and  unexpected  annunciation  that 
the  Atlantic  cable  was  laid!  All  London  is  in  a  tumult 
of  surprise  and  exultation.  The  stock,  which  two  days  ago 
stood  at  £200  or  £300,  has  with  the  quickness  of  its  own 
electric  fluid,  risen  to  £800  or  £1000.  New  Columbia  (Fra- 
zer's  river)  is,  at  once,  to  the  great  relief  of  Sir  E.B.  Lyttou, 
brought  within  hailing  distance.  I  hope  the  Secretary  of 
the  Company,  to  whom  it  was  specially  confided,  has  not 
failed  to  transmit  to  the  President  the  inaugurating  mes- 
sage of  the  Queen.    The  reply  ought  to  reach  us  to-day  !* 


*  The  telegrams  here  referred  to  were  the  following : — they  were  un- 
dated, but  were  interchanged  on  the  18th  and  19th  of  August,  1858 : 

1. — From  he?'  Majesty  the  Queen  of  Great  Britain  to  his  Excellency  the 
President  of  the  United  States. 
The  Queen  desires  to  congratulate  the  President  upon  the  successful 
completion  of  this  greatinternational  work,  in  which  the  Queen  has  taken 
the  greatest  interest.  The  Queen  is  convinced  that  the  President  will 
join  with  her  in  fervent  hope  that  the  electric  cable,  which  now  already 
connects  Great  Britain  with  the  United  States,  will  prove  an  additional 


42  TO  MR.  CASS. 

I  received  on  Sunday  last  an  exceedingly  interesting 
letter  from  Mr.  W.  B.  Reed,  written  on  the  very  day,  the 
20th  May,  of  the  taking  of  the  Chinese  forts  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Peiho  by  the  allied  squadrons.  He  appears 
to  have  acted  with  great  judgment  and  forbearance: — and 
yet  perhaps  the  vigorous  movement  of  Lord  Elgin  and 
Baron  Gros  in  pushing  nearer  to  Pekin  may  break  down 
oriental  form,  and  incline  the  brother  of  the  Sun  and  Moon 
to  be  as  courteous  and  kind  to  the  Earth  as  are  his  rela- 
tives. Mr.  Reed  kept  pace  with  the  advance,  a  mediating 
pacificator  always  at  hand.  The  complication  is  delicate 
and  very  interesting;  and  our  representative  expresses  a 
doubt  where  it  will  end — possibly  in  territorial  acquisi- 
tion by  one  or  the  other  of  the  allies. 

Was  there  ever  any  paper  so  wretchedly  devised  and 
penned  as  the  speech  on  the  prorogation?  And  yet  there 
are  in  the  ministry  Bulwer  Lytton,  Disraeli,  Stanley,  and 
Cairns !  It  must  have  been  left  to  the  bewildered  cookery 
of  a  Law-Lord. 

Mr.  Miller,  our  Despatch  Agent,  whom  I  had  desired 
to  keep  a  sharp  look-out  for  the  Blue  Book  promised  by 
Lord  Malmesbury  on  the  boarding  question,  informs  me 
that  he  has  ascertained  it  will  not  appear  before  the  next 
session.  There  is  an  habitual,  and  often  an  inexplicable, 
fondness  for  procrastination  : — they  don't  think  it  the  thief 
but  t\\Q  physician  of  Time:  possibly,  on  this  occasion,  dis- 

link  between  the  two  nations,  whose  friendship  is  founded  upon  their  com- 
mon interest  and  reciprocal  esteem.  The  Queen  has  much  pleasure  in 
thus  directly  communicating  with  the  President,  and  in  renewing  to  him 
her  best  wishes  for  the  prosperity  of  the  United  States. 

2. — The  President  of  the  United  States  to  her  Majesty^    Victoria,  Queen  of 
Great  Britain. 

'  Washington  City. 

The  President  cordially  reciprocates  the  congratulations  of  her  Majesty 
the  Queen  on  the  occasion  of  the  great  international  enterprise  accom- 
plished by  the  skill,  science,  and  indomitable  energy  of  the  two  countries. 
It  is  a  triumph  more  glorious,  because  far  more  useful  to  mankind,  than 
was  over  won  by  a  conqueror  on  the  field  of  battl  '.  May  the  Atlantic 
Telegraph,  under  the  blessing  of  Heaven,  prove  to  be  a  bond  of  perpetual 
peace  and  friendship  between  the  kindred  nations,  and  an  instrument 
destined  by  Divine  Providence  to  ditfuse  religion,  civilization,  liberty, 
and  law  throughout  the  world.  In  this  view  will  not  all  the  nations  of 
Christendom  spontaneously  unite  in  the  declaration  that  it  shall  be  for- 
ever neutral,  and' that  its  communications  shall  be  lield  sacred  in  passing 
to  the  place  of  their  destination  even  in  the  midst  of  hostilities? 

JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  43 

creet  views  of  party  popularity  suggest  the  expediency  of 
extending  the  record. 

You  have  no  doubt  remarked  the  interest  attached  to  a 
recent  and  absorbed  interview  between  the  French  Em- 
peror and  the  Sardinian  Prime  Minister,  Cavour.  The 
general  impression  forecasts  a  breach  with  Austria  and 
the  Unity  of  Italy.  As  this  country  may  probably  side 
with  Austria,  hence  the  expediency  of  having  Cherbourg 
in  the  rear,  more  as  defensive  and  a  refuge  than  a  measure 
of  invasion. 

Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliife  returns  to  Constantinople. 
Poiirquoivient-il,  V enrage  f  asks  Thouvenel.  His  lordship 
says,  to  take  leave  of  the  Sultan: — others  intimate,  to 
teach,  as  privy  councillor,  the  Divan  how  best  to  act  in 
existing  difficulties.  Perhcqys,  Sir  Henry  Bulwer  has 
missed  a  figure  somewhere,  and  made  the  temporary 
presence  of  De  Redclifle  necessary. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  214.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

LoNDOK,  August  13,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — !N"othing  exceeds  the  desertion  of  Lou- 
don— except  the  crowds  in  the  streets.  The  heat,  the 
odorous  Thames,  the  Royal  Highnesses  in  Prussia,  and 
the  whirring  grouse  of  Scotland,  are  fast  depopulating  all 
the  great  Squares  and  abandoning  the  Parks  to  the  mil- 
lion. The  clubs  are  vacant.  The  theatres  slam  to  their 
doors.  Science  closes  her  lecture  rooms,  and  Art  wraps 
her  galleries  in  muslin.  Even  the  Press,  the  Metropolitan 
Press, —  unheard  of  thing!  is  somniferous  and  stupid. 
In  such  a  state  of  afiPairs  the  affidrs  of  State  are  apt  to  sym- 
pathize, and  the  despatch  of  a  diplomat  takes  irresistibly 
a  turn  of  tameness.  I  doubt  much  whether  this  my  weekly 
missive  don't  fall  sound  asleep.  , 

It  would  seem  that  Lord  Elgin  and  Baron  Gros  have 
a  fair  prospect  of  demolishing  the  Great  Wall.  They  are 
comfortably  seated  at  Tien-Tsin,  about  sixty  miles  from 
Pekiu,  in  daily  communication  with  a  new  Grand  Com- 


44  TO  MR.  CASS. 

missioner  clothed  with  the  indispensable  fall  powers;  they 
have  propounded  their  ultimata;  and  they  give  infinite 
persuasion  to  these  by  the  display  of  2500  European 
soldiers  before  300,000,000  of  Asiatics!  Mr.  Reed  and 
Count  Putiatin  follow  the  belligerent  Admirals  in  a  Rus- 
sian vessel  called  the  America,  with  their  respective  flags 
flying,  steadily  prepared  to  join  the  triumph  and  partake 
the  gale !  It  is  diflicult,  with  our  "  western"  habits  of 
thought,  to  realize  this  extraordinary  invasion  of  the  old- 
est and  hugest  existing  empire  on  earth.  And  yet  there 
they  certainly  do  go — winding  their  diminutive  cavalcade 
through  river  and  canal  towards  the  Imperial  palace,  with 
that  sort  of  audacious  indift'erence  to  the  Chinese  that 
Cortez  exhibited  to  the  Aztecs  ! 

Parties  here  are  at  odds  about  the  character  which  the 
parliamentary  and  oflicial  measures  of  the  ministry  ought 
to  bear.  "Well ! — as  a  stranger,  a  mere  looker-on,  I  can 
judge  impartially.  Lord  Derby  has  shewn  wisdom,  tact,  and 
statesmanship,  far  beyond  what  was  expected  from  him, 
and  the  natural  result  is  a  corresponding  triumph  over 
public  opinion.  The  spirit  of  exterior  conciliation  is  quite 
distinct.  He  soothes  and  satisfies  everywhere:  France, 
United  States,  ^Naples.  At  home,  he  has  ceased  to  fight 
with  the  age,  concedes  more  liberally  than  he  ever  prom- 
ised, accepts  the  Jews,  abolishes  property  qualification, 
contemplates  manhood  sufl'rage  if  not  the  ballot,  gives  a 
government  to  India,  and  makes  an  acceptable  budget ! 
Surely,  there  is  nothing  equivocal  in  these  traits  of  a  six 
months  policy : — shewn,  too,  in  the  midst  of  difliculties, 
which  might  have  provoked  their  angry  relinquishment 
without  exciting  surprise.  I  have  no  tendencies  to  what 
is  called  Toryism  (perhaps  you  know  tliat  without  my  tell- 
ing it!)  and  I  may  rather  fall  short  of  than  exaggerate  the 
merits  of  the  Premier  and  his  colleagues.  If — as  some 
anticipate,  especially  since  that  passage  of  the  Queen's 
speech  read  on  prorogation,  which  refers  to  the  exercise 
of  members'  mjiuence  during  the  recess — a  dissolution  be 
attempted  in  the  spring,  it  would  not  surprise  me  to  find 
tbe  new  House  of  Commons  more  disposed  than  the 
present  one  to  sustain  the  existing  government. 

We  are  having  hourly  messages  from  the  Niagara,  but 
none  yet  from  the  Oflice  on  shore. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  45 


No.  215 -TO  MR.  OASS. 


LoNDOK,  August  27,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — j^ote,  that  Marshal  Pelissier  is  about 
marrying.  At  Cherbourg  the  predestined  couple  met  for 
the  first  time.  "  Mons.  le  Due,"  said  the  sovereign,  Eu- 
genie, '^prenez  la  main  de  la  Comtesse  Paniega  j^our  le  sou- 
per ; — eh!  pourquoi  pas  pour  la  vie  V  and  so,  we  shall  have  a 
Duchess  added  to  our  corps  in  less  than  a  fortnight.  Mala- 
koft'is  affectedly  pitied  as  a  victim  though  62  :  his  intended 
being  30  and  surpassingly  lovely. 

Count  Persigny  deems  it  necessary  to  spread  more  sail. 
He  would  probably  like  to  regain  his  diplomatic  residence 
in  London.  So  he  has  made  a  long  speech  at  the  Council 
General  of  the  Loire,  in  which  he  reminds  the  world  that 
he  was  among  the  first  to  attach  himself  to  the  fortunes  of 
Louis  I^^apoleon,  and  that  the  French  and  British  alliance 
is  essential  to  the  interests  of  both  nations.  Although  he 
used  some  very  offensive  words  in  addressing  the  Lord 
Mayor  after  Orsini's  attack  in  Februar}^  last,  yet,  take  him 
for  all  in  all,  he  is  rather  a  fjivorite  here. 

Royalty  has  periodical  fits  of  peripatetic  restlessness. 
Just  now,  the  great  thrones  are  vacated.  France,  Russia, 
England,  Prussia,  Spain,  Holland,  have  their  monarchs 
wandering.  Queen  Victoria  returns  from  her  trip  to  Pots- 
dam during  the  next  week,  and  will  hold  a  Privy  Council 
at  Osborne  on  the  2d  September. 

Lord  Elgin  has  effected  his  objects : — opened  China  to 
commerce  and  Christianity,  got  an  indemnity  of  $6,000,000, 
and  made  Pekin  a  residence  for  foreign  diplomats  and 
consuls.  Such  at  least  is  the  credited  news  from  St.  Pe- 
tersburg. It  is  understood  that  the  quiet  Putiatin  has 
dexterously  managed  to  obtain  great  advantages  for  Russia. 
France  claims  a  large  half  of  the  "glory"  of  the  enter- 
prise. 

The  Conferences  at  Paris  have  closed.  The  details  of 
the  arrangement  respecting  the  Danubian  Principalities 
have  not  transpired.  Generally  it  is  said  the  Suzerainet^ 
of  Turkey  is  maintained:  Wallachia  and  Moldavia  are 
each  to  have  a  Hospodar  elected  for  life  and  a  separate 
legislature:  on  what  points  a  junction  is  effected,  whether 


46  '  TO  MR.  CASS. 

ecclesiastical,  judicial,  or  electoral,  don't  appear  yet.  It 
is  strongly  illustrative  of  the  irresistible  tendency  of  the 
age  that  these  consultative  agents  of  despotic  powers  could 
come  to  no  result  but  one  e«sentially  republican. 

Doubts  are  whispered  as  to  the  state  of  France.  The 
steadily  continuing  transportations  of  squadrons  of  "  sus- 
pects" to  Cayenne,  indicate  a  widespread  discontent,  and 
must  aggravate,  not  repress  it.  Your  old  assailant  Loi^d 
Brougham,  in  the  course  of  a  long  call  with  which  he 
honored  me,  expressed  serious  anxiety  as  to  what  might 
soon  follow.  By-the-by,  after  all  his  termagant  fury 
against  your  defeat  of  the  Quintuple  Treaty,  he  has  come 
round  to  your  letter  of  the  10th  April  last,  and  sa3's  that 
visit  and  search  are  the  same,  both  against  the  law  of  na- 
tions, cannot  be  forced,  but  he  hopes  a  succedaneum  may 
be  devised  by  negotiation.  A  few  tirm  phrases  in  the 
President's  message  will  place  "The  Police  of  the  Seas" 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  hand  of  resurrection. 

Lord  Derby  obtained  the  prompt  consent  of  her  Majesty 
to  the  publication  of  the  telegraphic  messages  between 
herself  and  the  President.  They  appeared  in  the  Times  and 
other  journals  of  the  23d  instant.  The  contrast  between 
the  manner  in  which  the  success  of  the  cable  has  been 
treated  here  and  in  the  United  States,  is  very  marked  and 
strange.  Except  at  the  first  surprise,  and  in  the  rise  of 
the  company's  stock,  nothing  symptomatic  of  enthusiasm 
has  broken  out:  not  even  a  dinner!  Some  hyfalutin  arti- 
cles got  into  a  paper  or  two: — obviousl}^  however,  more 
inspired  by  pique  against  the  glorification  at  Cherbourg, 
than  by  joy  over  the  wire.  What  is  the  cause  of  this  dif- 
ference ?  Is  it  that  your  ecstacy  arises  from  an  instinctive 
consciousness  that  the  cable  will  be  a  medium  for  propa- 
gating quickly  and  directly  your  swelling  thoughts  ? — of 
indoctrinating  this  old  continent  with  your  principles  and 
aspirations  ?  There  is  vastly  more  in  it,  rest  assured,  than 
trade,  and  peace,  and  fraternity.  If  not,  why  is  the  lion 
tame  and  tranquil,  while  the  eagle  is  huzzaing  in  the 
clouds? 

I  am  meditatino^  a  short  visit  to  Tunbrido:e  Wells  with 
my  family,  to  give  op})ortunity  for  certain  repairs  and  im- 
provements in  the  house  I  occupy.  If  I  do  not  write  as 
often  as  before,  ascribe  it  to  this  and  to  the  intolerable 
duluess  of  everything  in  London. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  47 


No.  216.-TO  ME.  CASS. 


London,  September  10, 1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — An  annoying  nncertainty  lingers  about 
the  Atlantic  cable.  It  has  stopped  speaking:  —  and 
Whitehouse,  the  electrician  who  has  heretofore  taught  it 
speech,  ascribes  its  present  dumbness  to  some  injury  in- 
flicted upon  the  small  line  of  wire  by  the  violence  of  the 
sea  off  the  Irish  coast.  He  applied  a  remedy  once,  and 
can,  he  thinks,  apply  another: — but,  then,  men  of  science 
are  akin  to  poets,  the  genus  irritabile,  and  the  cluster  around 
the  telegraphic  instruments  have  got  squabbling.  The 
physician  who  cured  the  disease  was  dismissed  as  soon  as 
he  succeeded : — but  now  comes  a  fresh  attack,  and  he 
won't  stir  unless  soothed  by  ample  reparation.  If  the 
Professor  be  not  promptly  propitiated  the  mischief  may 
get  beyond  the  power  of  repair  : — and  then,  how  idle  the 
conflagration  of  the  City  Hall! 

The  cable's  rival,  Cherbourg,  the  ^^  standing  menace," 
seems  to  have  won  the  day.  John  Bull  is  still  loquacious 
about  the  splendor  of  that  spectacle,  and  harps,  at  politi- 
cal meetings  and  dinners,  about  its  incidents  and  mean- 
ing. He  comforts  himself,  under  the  warnings  of  Koe- 
biick  and  Lindsa}",  by  preaching  faith  in  the  alliance,  by 
mounting  a  few  enormous  cannon  pointed  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  French  fortification,  and  by  frequent  iteration 
of  "  forewarned,  forearmed!"  But  the  old  gentleman 
cannot  divest  himself  of  uneasy  feelings:  and  a  stern  de- 
termination is  everywhere  evinced  that  Parliament,  at  its 
next  session, "must  not  lose  an  hour  in  strengthening  the 
defences  of  the  country.  In  connection  with  this,  observe 
that  Paris  is  flooded  with  anti-Anglican  pamphlets,  foster- 
ingand  augmenting  every  sort  of  national  prejudice : — and 
remember  that  the  completion  of  Cherbourg  places  a 
weapon  in  the  restless  hands  of  the  metropolitan  blouses 
which  they  will  long  to  try.  Should  the  army,  to  whom 
Louis  Napoleon  has  undoubtedly  pointed  the  way  to  ■* 
England,  become  infected  by  the  same  popular  yearning, 
nothing  is  left  for  it  but  a  trial,  either  with  or  without  his 
Imperial  Majesty.  You  may  have  noticed  that  a  wag, 
during  the  magniticent  pyrotechnics,  construed  the  initials 


48  TO  MR.  CASS. 

K  E.  (Napoleon,  Eugenie)  and  V.  A.  (Victoria,  Albert) 
as  an  implied  compliment  to  the  Czar  on  the. Neva.  Who 
knows? 

The  news  from  China  is  not  yet  definitive.  No  doubt, 
however,  is  entertained  that  Lord  Elgin  has  accomplished 
all  that  mere  treaties  can  secure.  I  have  just  received  an 
interesting  letter  from  Mr.  Reed,  dated  at  Tien-Tsin  on 
the  very  day,  the  18th  June,  on  which  he  signed  his  own 
treaty,  which  he  describes  as  entirely  satisfactory.  I 
should  judge  from  what  he  says,  that  he  and  the  British 
Plenipotentiary  have  not  harmonized.  Some  supercilious 
flings  have  already  appeared  in  the  newspapers  here, 
against  the  American  mode  of  getting  honey  without 
working  for  it,  which  are  perhaps  distillations  of  diplo- 
matic ill-humor. 

Much  noise  is  just  now  occasioned  by  a  Protest  or  Re- 
monstrance against  the  intolerance  of  Sweden  for  having 
driven  into  exile  some  half  dozen  converts  to  the  Roman 
church.  The  paper,  signed  by  the  great  body  of  ecclesias- 
tical dignitaries,  headed  b}'  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury, 
was  formally  sent  to  Count  Platen,  the  Swedish  minister 
at  this  Court: — and  his  reply  to  it  is  at  once  curious  and 
dignified:  curious,  as  it  explains  the  intolerance  to  be  the 
law,  wliich  the  legislature  will  not,  though  pressed  by  the 
Sovereign  and  Court,  change:  and  dignified,  as  his  Excel- 
lency plainly  intimates  the  impropriety  of  one  country 
meddling  with  the  institutions  of  another. 

Permit  me  to  offer  to  yourself  and  your  daughter  my 
sincere  felicitations  upon  the  event  which  I  see  announced 
in  the  public  papers. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


Uo.  217.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  September  17, 1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — My  despatch  by  this  Bag  will  lead 
you  to  speculate  as  to  what  may  be  the  possible  objects 
of  Lord  M's.  sudden  eruption.  It  may  go  farther  than 
it  has  gone.  "Whether  the  deficiency  of  party  capital 
be  felt  and  must  be  made  up : — or  whether  it  be  conceived 


TO  MR.  CASS.  40 

necessary  to  "tack  ship  and  about,"  on  the  visit  ques- 
tion: or  whether  the  everlasting  dripping  of  fresh  reclama- 
tions for  "outrages"  has  wrought  what  the  French  term 
"wn  acces  defievre:''  or  whether  the  atmosphere  of  Pots- 
dam exerted  an  unwholesome  influence:  or  whether,  after 
all  (for  Oxenstiern  found  the  world  very  contemptible), 
there  be  at  bottom  meaner  promptings  than  these, — -let 
us  leave  the  future  to  disclose.  As  for  my  own  action, 
it  lies  plainly  before  me,  and  I  have  to  make  it  clear  by 
quietly  repelling  encroachment,  preserving  both  temper 
and  dignity. 

Mr.  Klicker,  the  minister  of  the  Hanse  Towns,  who,  by- 
the-by,  has  greatly  lifted  his  mission  by  marrying  an  ex- 
ceedingly pretty  and  most  fashionably  toiletted  wife,  has 
once  more  begged  me  to  intrude  the  "  Stade  Dues"  upon 
your  notice.  Europe  is  not  unwilling,  on  some  topics,  to 
feel  us  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  House  of  Com- 
mons has  had  its  committee,  a  copy  of  whose  report  I  send 
you.  Is  it  worth  our  while  to  take,  as  respects  our  treaty 
with  Hanover,  the  course  Eno-land  is  takino;  with  hers? 
One  word  in  reply,  to  assuage  the  solicitude  of  the  Han- 
seatic  diplomat. 

Russia  has,  Avith  sly  insinuating  softness,  nestled  herself 
at  Villafranca  with  Sardinia.  She  has  bought  a  steam- 
navigation  depot  on  the  shores  of  the  central  sea: — and 
already  England  foresees  naval  rivahy  and  is,  of  course, 
vehemently  excited.  Lord  Derby  will  be  interpellated  to 
explain  how  he  happened  to  be  thus  outwitted.  But  the 
step  was,  it  is  said,  accompanied  by  political  engagements 
of  much  significance: — Russia  promising  to  aid  Piedmont 
should  she  be  assailed  by  Austria. 

Another  letter  from  Mr.  Reed,  dated  at  Tien-Tsin  1st 
July  last.  The  airs  played  off  by  the  British  Peer  among 
the  effeminate  Orientals  are  approvingly  described  in  the 
Times: — Mr.  Reed  speaks  of  them  in  a  wholly  different 
strain. 

The  Cable  don't  speak: — the  cause  is  yet  undetected, 
not  ^^  innubibu-s"  but  '■'■mprofiindis:"  and  the  electricians 
are  at  loggerheads.  Everybody  looks  blank,  and  croakers 
are  beginning  their  bull-frog  songs  with,  "  Well,  you 
know  I  always  doubted!"  The  absolutely  perfect  isola- 
tion which  it  is  necessary  to  secure  for  the  wire  through 
the  whole  2000  miles  may  remain  for  a  short  time: — but 

VOL.  II. — 4 


50  TO  MR.  CASS. 

can  it,  in  reason,  be  expected  to  last  amid  the  lashing 
grindings,  abrasions,  and  corrosions  of  our  stormy  sea? 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  218.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

London,  September  23,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — ISTothing  more  from  Lord  M.  after  the 
lapse  often  days: — so  I  suppose  he  may  be  considered  as 
persuaded  that  "  Her  Majesty's  Captains  who  visit  sus- 
pected vessels"  may  sometimes  be  handled  without  kid 
gloves,  and  yet  no  offence  be  justly  taken. 

Mr.  Bradley,  our  consul  at  Ningpo,  who  accompanied 
Mr.  Reed  up  the  Peiho,  passed  through  London  to  Gal- 
way,  bearing  with  him  our  Chinese  Treaty.  Ho  must 
reach  you  some  days  before  this  note.  Lord  Elgin  is 
much  eulogized,  no  doubt  deservedly,  but  he  has  obtained 
nothing  which  does  not  enure  to  the  equal  advantage  of 
the  United  States,  and  there  are  stipulations  in  Mr.  Reed's 
treaty  which  they  are  here  congratulating  themselves  will, 
under  the  most  favored  clause,  enure  to  the  benefit  of 
England. 

Lord  Brougham  has  made  a  most  elaborate  aiid  un- 
readable speech  on  the  occasion  of  inaugurating,  the  day 
before  yesterday,  at  Grentham,  a  statue  in  bronze  to  New 
ton.  He  exhibited  his  own  familiarity  with  the  highest 
ranges  of  science: — but  he  does  not  appear  to  have,  by 
effective  words  and  generalization,  brought  into  any 
stronger  relief  the  creative  genius  of  Sir  Isaac.  There 
are  some  fames,  such  as  Johnson  considers  Shakespeare's, 
whose  adamant  nothing  can  strengthen  or  impair. 

The  Premier,  apparently  sacrificing  his  stud  to  his 
studies,  tried  a  sale  by  public  outcry: — but  his  heart 
caved  in,  and  he  fixed  such  enormous  prices  upon  his 
favorites — on  one,  Toxopholite,  15,000  dollars — that  all 
the  really  good  nags  are  left  upon  his  hands.  He  will  be 
obliged  to  retract  his  abjuration  of  the  turf  Why,  indeed, 
should  a  man  affect  to  be  what  he  is  not,  even  though  he 
be  prime  minister? 

Every  day  gives  rise  to  some  new  theory  as  to  the  cause 


TO  MR.  CASS.  51 

of  the  Cable's  failure.  The  last  is  the  least  hopeful : — it 
is  in  the  shape  of  a  report  from  an  enquiring  electrician, 
appointed  for  the  purpose  by  the  Company.  He  seems 
to  think  that  an  injury  may  have  been  inflicted  when  the 
Agamemnon,  overrunning  her  log,  unconsciously  quit  the 
submarine  plateau  of  Maury: — or,  as  he  intimates,  the 
excessive  force  with  which  the  fluid  was  impelled  at  each 
extremity  may  have  transcended  the  ability  of  the  wire  to 
hold  it,  and  so  ignited  the  contiguous  coating  to  a  con- 
siderable length  : — at  any  rate,  he  doubts  whether  the 
fatal  wound  was  given  short  of  300  miles  from  shore,  and, 
since  it  was  given,  whether  it  was  by  Are,  or  water,  or 
rock,  it  may  have  spread  its  coils  several  hundreds  of 
miles.  I  hope  you  quite  understand  this,  although  it  be 
too  erudite  for  me,  partaking  as  it  does  of  the  wild  inven- 
tion and  incomprehensibility  of  Southey's  Curse  of  Ke- 
hama.      Vates  ambo  ! 

You  must  not  find  fault  with  the  subjects  on  which  I 
Avrite.  At  this  season,  I  grasp  at  whatever  has  any  sort 
of  interest.  The  Atlantic  Cable  has,  besides,  risen  to  be 
a  great  political  institution,  and  its  flaws  have  a  tendency 
to  check  international  intercourse  and  universal  civiliza- 
tion !  Ask  Mr.  Cyrus  Field  if  that  be  not  so.  The  wits 
of  Paris,  after  long  calling  by  the  name  of  "canard"  any 
piece  of  false  news,  have  now  christened  immortally,  every 
signal  failure  "  a  cable." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  219 -TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  September  28,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  avail  myself  of  the  steamer  "  City  of 
Baltimore"  in  order  to  beg  your  attention  for  a  moment 
to  the  subject  of  the  enclosed  copy  of  a  letter  from  solici- 
tors long  connected  with  this  legation. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  a  sharper  has  been  for  some  time 
at  work  defrauding  mau}^  of  our  too  credulous  countrymen 
by  pretending  to  have  discovered  property  in  this  coun- 
try to  which  they  are  entitled :  and  inducing  them  to 
transmit  small  sums  of  five  or  ten  pounds  to  meet  the  fees 


52  TO  MR.  CASS. 

and  costs  of  preliminary  enquiry.  The  expediency  of 
a  short  and  prompt  notice  is  suggested :  and  I  submit 
whether  something  of  the  sort  may  not  with  propriety  be 
inserted  in  the  Union  and  Intelligencer. 

The  dumbness  of  the  Cable  seems  alike  incurable  and 
inexplicable.  Every  day  brings  out  a  tedious  rigmarole 
of  imaginary  causes: — but  as  yet  no  positive  action  to  fix 
the  distance  or  character  of  the  mischief. 

The  Queen  of  Greece  has  resolved  upon  restoring  the 
Olympic  Games : — not,  Mr.  Tricoupi  tells  me,  on  or  near 
Mount  Olympus,  nor  exactly  in  their  ancient  simplicity: 
— but  on  an  estate  left  for  the  purpose  by  a  private  mil- 
lionaire, near  Athens,  and  much  in  the  forn;i  of  modern 
industrial  exhibition ! 

The  very  last  on-dit  about  the  Prussian  crisis  seems  to  be 
that  the  Prince  has  become  permanent  Regent,  the  King 
incurable.  When  his  Majesty  dies,  it  is  not  improbable 
that  the  Regent  will  abdicate  and  permit  his  son,  who 
married  our  Princess  Royal  the  other  day,  to  take  the 
crown. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  220.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  8,  1858'. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  rumor  of  the  day  is  that  apology 
and  reparation  are  to  be  made  for  Captain  Pullen's 
bombardment  of  Jidda!  How  diiferent  this  from  what 
would  have  taken  place  had  Lord  Palmerston  remained 
in  oflice  may  be  seen  from  a  characteristic  anecdote  which 
I  know  to  be  true.  His  Ex-premiership  recently  met 
Fuad  Pacha,  the  Turkish  plenipotentiary  in  Paris,  who 
complained  to  him  bitterly  of  the  cruelty  of  firing  upon  a 
defenceless  town,  especially  as  the  ofi^ence  given  was  in 
train  of  diplomatic  enquiry  and  reparation.  Very  harsh 
and  very  sad,  was  the  reply  : — but  as  the  fanatic  massacre 
at  the  consulate  was  incontestable,  ha(J  I  been  minister  I 
would  have  ordered  the  immediate  destruction  of  the 
town.  This  goes  a  little  farther  than  the  precedent  set  at 
San  Juan. 


TO   MR.  CASS.  53 

Another  long  and  able  report  from  the  electrician  Hen- 
ley on  the  Atlantic  Cable.  He  permits  a  scintilla  of  hope 
to  survive  that,  by  the  use  of  his  instruments,  the  mischief 
may  be  gradually  remedied.  He  leans,  however,  to  the 
opinion  that  the  fault  was  in  the  cable  when  laid,  and  that 
it  would  have  been  discovered  had  a  proper  series  of  ex- 
periments been  previously  made.  There  are  some  sub- 
jects on  which  scientific  men  seem  to  delight  in  theorizing 
fancifully  :  the  two  most  attractive  just  now  are  the  deepest 
in  earth  and  the  loftiest  in  the  heavens — the  Cable  and  the 
Comet.  I  am  told  that  the  Earl  of  C.  has  written  a  book 
to  prove  that  this  latter  beautiful  visitor  is  on  an  errand 
to  execute  the  judgment  of  Daniel  and  destro}^  the  world! 
Implicit  fixith  is  due  to  the  sacred  prophets: — the  diffi- 
culty lies  in  fallible  constructions  and  calculations  by  im- 
aginative laymen.  However,  nothing  is  too  incredible 
not  to  have  some  believ^ers.      Credo,  quia  impossibile. 

Lord  Derby,  though  physically  excruciated  by  the  gout, 
continues  politicall}-  in  the  groove  of  good  luck.  The  pub- 
lic revenue  has  augmented  beyond  expectation.  Some,  to 
be  sure,  predict  a  deficit  of  £6,000,000  at  the  end  of  the 
year: — but  the  most  sagacious  are  unable  to  perceive 
whence  it  can  arise.  The  ministry  are  allowed  six  months 
longer  life  by  their  sanguine  opponents  : — the  lapse  of  that 
period  brings  them  to  the  second  month  of  the  parlia- 
mentary session,  and  what  may  then  be  the  topics  of 
eventful  discussion  it  is  impossible  to  foresee.  Reform 
will  not  shake  them. 

Lord  Canning  has  written  a  very  able  defence  of  his 
policy  against  the  attack  made  in  Lord  Ellenborough's 
celebrated  despatch,  condemning  his  confiscating  procla- 
mation. His  defence,  to  be  sure,  consists  more  in  aver- 
ments of  intention  than  in  denying  f\icts  :  arguing  it  to  be 
wise  to  declare  the  territorial  forfeitures,  but  not  to  retain 
them  : — to  restore  or  re-distribute  them. 

The  Czar  says  he  will  visit  Paris  and  London,  if  possible, 
in  the  spring.  He  had  better  move  slowly  in  the  cause 
of  serf-emancipation,  or  his  boyars  will  make  the  visit  im- 
possible.  He  has  been,  as  it  were,  "stumping"  his  em- 
pire :  and  his  published  addresses  are  underlaid  by  an 
apparent  consciousness  that  the  task  which  bafiled  his 
fiither  may  endanger  him. 

Alwa3'S  faithfully  yrs. 


54  TO  MR.  MARKOE. 


No.  221.-T0  ME.  MAEKOE. 

London,  October  8,  1858. 

My  dear  Markoe, — You  never  write.  The  steamers 
bring  me  nothing.  I  hope  you  are  taking  your  fall  trip, 
for  that  will  be  your  best  apology  by  giving  me  the  assur- 
ance that  your  health  is  invigorating. 

I  suppose  an  Ex-Premier  may  be  likened  to  an  "  arch- 
angel ruined,"  and  so,  worthy  even  in  his  fall,  of  some 
respect.  Well  ! — the  ladies,  by  a  rapid  interchange  of 
'notes,  so  iixed  it  that  we  closed  our  vagabondish  month 
of  September  by  a  visit  of  five  days  to  Broadlands,  Lord 
Palmerston's  delightful  residence  in  Hants.  What  a 
lovely  region  of  country.  That  river  Tesk  !  running  at 
the  foot  of  the  lawn,  in  all  sorts  of  curves,  limpid,  crys- 
talline, sparkling,  murmuring,  with  the  quick-eyed  trout 
stemming  its  current  while  seemingly  motionless  three 
feet  below  the  surface  !  The  huge  elms,  with  trunks  thirty 
feet  in  girth :  the  towering  C3'presses  :  the  pinnacled  cedars : 
the  age-worn  oaks:  the  magnolia  grandifloras  with  their 
capacious  (but  not  fragrant)  white  ilowers :  the  glowing 
beds  of  roses,  geraniums,  rhododendrons,  heliotropes, 
pinks,  chrysanthemums — the  sculptured  vases,  fountains, 
cascades:  the  interminable  park,  clusters  of  trees,  gravel 
,  walks,  and  clouds  of  ever-cawing  rooks : — and  there,  right 
in  front,  high  in  the  heavens,  yet  glittering  in  the  rip- 
pling Tesk,  shines  the  magniticently  tail-bearing  Comet ! 

Don't  ask  me  about  paintings  and  rare  objects  of  vertu. 
I  am  not  now  in  their  vein.  Take  them  to  be  multitudi- 
nous and  infinitely  curious.  I  >vant  to  boast,  that  while 
Morphy  was  challenging  and  beating  all  Europe  at  chess 
in  Paris,  I  was  following  his  illustrious  and  patriotic  ex- 
ample by  conquering  the  conqueror  of  Derby  at  billiards, 
and  by  outshooting  him  marvellously  during  a  five  hours' 
tramp  after  partridges  : — he  in  the  finished  jaunty  costume 
of  a  thoroughbred  English  sportsman,  I  under  my  heavy 
beaver,  in  common  frock  coat,  and  light  thin  boots.  Oar 
coveys  were  shy,  and  required  more  than  usual  activity  of 
pursuit,  and  it  was  glorious  to  see  how  this  veteran  man- 
aged to  keep  up  his  animation  and  brisk  step  to  the  very 
last:  dressing  and  coming  to  dinner  too  in  an  hour  after- 
wards as  if  he  had  been  upon  a  satin  sofa  all  day. 


J 


TO  MR.  CASS.  55 

Don't  abuse  me  for  this  harum-scarum  style  of  epistle. 
If  I  stopped  long  enough  to  arrange  ideas  and  words,  I 
should  be  worse  fagged  than  I  was  in  shooting,  and  you 
would  lose  this  precious  piece  of  fanfaronade  by  the  flight 
of  my  Bag. 

Ever  faithfully  yrs. 


*  No.  222.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

.  London,  October  15,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Emperor  and  his  resolute  minister 
Walewski  shew  no  yielding  on  their  device  of  black  emi- 
grants from  Africa  to  the  tVest  Indies.  You  have  doubt- 
less noticed  the  new  case  of  the  ship  ^'■Charles  et  Georges" 
seized  off  Mozambique  by  the  Portuguese,  first  for  being 
in  prohibited  waters,  and  second  for  carrying  on  the  pro- 
hibited trade.  She  was  crammed  with  negroes,  and 
crowded  with  fetters:  both  of  which  "our  great  and  good 
ally"  vindicates  b}' the  presence  of  a  public  "  Commissaire 
de  France  "  on  board.  Sent  for  condemnation  to  Lisbon, 
two  Imperial  liue-of-battle-ships  have  repaired  thither, 
anchored  in  the  stream,  and  demand  that  either  she  shall 
be  forthwith  surrendered,  with  indemnity,  or  that  Louis 
Napoleon's  diplomatic  representative  shall  repair  to  Paris. 
Of  course,  poor  Portugal  will  have  to  succumb,  violate  her 
own  laws,  annul  the  judgments  of  her  courts,  and  sacrifice 
the  vested  rights  of  her  subjects.  There  is  a  talk  of  saving 
honor,  etc.,  by  a  mediation.  What  will  England  say? 
Vivelasainte  alliance? — maugre  the  capture  of  a  slave-ship 
flagrante  delicto. 

His  Prussian  Majesty  has  finally  withdrawn  before  a 
Regent,  and  may  be  regarded  as  a  "dissolving  view." 
Like  several  other  supernumerary  royalties,  he  ceases  to 
be  talked  of,  and  must  soon  either  die  or  be  forgotten. 

Tiie  condition  of  the  Venezuelan  controversy  is  just  now 
somewhat  inaccessible.  Lord  M.  sticks  tenaciously  to  his 
"  shooting  box"  in  Scotland,  and  nobody  in  London  cares 
a  pinch  of  snutF  for  all  the  parties  concerned.  Monagas 
is  reported  to  be  in  Paris.  But  your  ex-minister,  Eames, 
must  by  this  time  have  repaired  to  Washington  and  put 


56  TO  MR.  CASS. 

you  au  fait.     A  loose  rumor  represents  the  difficulty  as 
settled  by  mutual  concession. 

The  Duke  and  Duchess  of  Maiakoft",  married  two  days 
ago,  ought  to  be  in  London  this  afternoon.  Thus  far  the 
Crimean  conqueror  has  been  a  model  of  loyal  acquiescence 
to  a  command  which  secured  for  him  a  combination  of 
Venus  and  Juno.  His  predecessor,  as  I  suspected  in  one 
of  my  former  letters  to  you,  is  longing  to  return  to  Albert 
Gate: — and  his  pretty  countess  haunts,  like  a  desponding 
spirit,  the  courtly  scenes  of  her  past  enjoyment. 

The  Association  of  Social  Science,  me't  and  still  sitting 
at  Liverpool,  is  really  exhibiting  great  ability  aad  vigor. 
Still  it  is  noticeable  what  an  infinity  of  talent  and  trouble 
they  expend  in  proving  positions  long  since  accepted  by 
us  as  almost  axiomatic  truths.  Lords  John  Russell, 
Brougham,  and  Shaftesbury  are  the  leading  figures. 

Though  no  chance  of  acting  efficiently  for  some  time  is 
apparent,  I  hope  our  Coast  Survey  is  on  the  alert  to  seize 
the  first  opportunity  oflfered  by  the  Cable  for  fixing  the 
longitude  by  means  of  clocks  at  each  end.  Men  of  science 
are  referring  to  this  here. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  223.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  October  22,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  first  duty  and  pleasure  of  the  mo- 
ment is  to  thank  you  for  your  private  letter  of  the  4th 
instant. 

I  wish  I  could  answer  your  enquiry  as  to  the  personal 
deportment  of  the  explosive  petard  of  the  Foreign  Office  : 
— but  I  cannot: — he  has  been  shooting  grouse  or  stalking 
deer  in  Scotland,  or  perhaps,  preparing  like  an  irritated 
lion  for  another  spring,  he  coolly  for  the  present  lies  low 
and  keeps  dark.  However,  to  speak  seriously  and  sin- 
cerely, my  impression  is  that  his  rage  exhausted  itself  in 
his  note  from  Potsdam,  that  he  has  not  a  drop  left  with 
which  to  treat  ray  reply,  and  that  we  shall  slowly  (on  my 
part  very  slowly)  resume  our  previous  relation.  You  will 
have  seen  that  our  diplomatic  correspondence  on  other 


TO  MR.  CASS.  57 

topics  has  not  liacl  the  fauitest  smack  of  this  particular 
acid. 

Will  3'ou  have  the  Bahamas  ?  They  are  not  as  attractive 
as  Cuba,  and  scarcely  comparable  to  the  bay  of  Samaria : — 
but  tliej  lie  in  the  great  thoroughfare  of  our  Gulf,  aud 
might  yield  a  cluster  of  harbors  for  coaling  or  against 
storms.  What  will  j^ou  bid  for  them?  The  "Baron  E. 
Graves  van  der  Smissen,"  a  highly  intelligent  Dutchman 
of  about  33,  claims  them  or  rather  their  sovereignty  as 
vested  in  himself  and  co-heirs  under  an  express  grant  of 
Charles  I.  The  Baron  is  a  grandson  of  Admiral  Graves, 
whom  I  knew  here  in  1814,  who  had  been  naturalized  in 
the  United  States  and  married  there.  The  Baron  can  and 
will  deploy  a  perfect  title  : — he  has  undertaken  to  put  it 
on  paper,  to  exhibit  copies  of  deeds,  and  to  set  forth  the 
chain  of  proofs.  His  price  is  reasonable.  Will  you 
ofter  ? 

I  send  you  the  copy  of  a  letter  addressed  to  me  by  a 
surgeon  of  the  2d  West  India  Regiment.  He  thinks  him- 
self entitled  to  a  share  of  the  $3000  appropriated  in  JTune 
last  to  make  suitable  acknowledgments  to  the  Jamaica 
authorities  for  the  relief  extended  to  the  sick  officers  and 
crew  of  the  Susquehanna.  Not,  as  it  would  seem,  that  he 
actually  partook  in  the  kind  offices  rendered,  but  that  he 
was  on  board  of  the  vessel  which  carried  the  sufferers  to 
New  York,  might  have  succored  their  bodies  had  his  aid 
been  invoked,  and  no  doubt  soothed  their  minds  by  the 
consciousness  that  he  was  at  hand.  The  surgeon  might 
quote  precedents  of  high  authority. 

The  Chinese  Treaties  are  still  favorite  topics.  Of 
course,  John  Bull  claims  all  the  merit.  Even  Baron  Gros 
was  on  the  point  of  yielding  to  the  views  of  forbearance 
and  national  courtesy  inculcated  by  Mr.  Reed  : — but  Lord 
Elgin  held  on  his  course  sternly. 

The  Queen  returned  from  Edinburgh  to  Windsor  Castle 
on  Wednesday  last: — of  course  with  her  usual  '■'■  entou- 
rage.^' All  the  peripatetic  royalties  have  gone  back  to 
their  homes. 

I  am  strongly  inclined  to  convey-  to  you  my  specula- 
tions on  the  drift  of  political  aftairs  just  now,  this  side  of 
the  Atlantic  : — but  this  letter  is  already  too  long,  and  you 
are  too  busy  for  generalities.  To  me,  let  me  say  brieiiy, 
the  indications  of  approaching  change,  convulsion,  and 


58  TO   MR.  CASS. 

war,  are  marked  and  multitudinous.  "  Watchman,  what 
of  the  night?"  Shadows,  ck)uds,  and  darkness  rest  upon 
it.  Keep  our  western  star  steadily  shining,  that  the  world 
may  see  it  above  the  storm. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  224.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  26,  1858.  * 

My  dear  Sir, — What  of  Lord  M.  ? — you  will  ask. 
Well  !  these  collateral  entanglements  about  words  are  by 
no  means  the  easiest  to  unravel :  and  they  who  rush  im- 
petuously into  them  must  sometimes  be  fain  to  creep  back- 
wards out  as  they  may.  Plis  lordship  would  appear  un- 
able or  unwilling  to  put  in  a  replication  to  my  answer, 
and  so  resolved,  after  six  weeks'  meditation  and  a  visit  to 
the  Premier  at  Knowsley,  to  bury  the  hatchet  with  short 
blessing,  and  with  as  much  grace  as  his  nature  would 
allow.  He  invited  me  to  the  F.  O.  and  I  went  yesterday 
at  4  P.M.  I  entertain  a  high  and  sincere  respect  for  the 
Earl: — none  the  less  because  as  a  British  statesman  he 
has  done  the  United  States  justice  on  a  point  of  momentous 
concern  long  in  angry  controversy.  Let  me  then  restrict 
myself  to  saying  that  after  I  had  tranquilly  looked  at  him 
for  one  or  two  minutes,  waiting  the  communication  he 
had  invited  me  to  receive,  he  went  on  to  talk,  discursively 
and  incongruously  upon  all  sorts  of  topics,  without  for 
one  instant  adverting  to  the  one  uppermost  in  ni}'  thoughts, 
and  the  one  which  it  was  impossible  not  to  perceive  was 
the  bee  in  his  own  bonnet.  A  pointless  and  profitless 
course  of  commonplace  was  selected  as  the  harmless 
means  of  bridging  over  the  fissure  in  our  relations.  He 
began  by  awkwardly  saying  that  though  he  had  requested 
to  see  me,  he  really  had  nothing  to  communicate  ;  and  he 
proved  his  words  by  much  talk  on  ordinary  topics  which 
he  forbore  to  illuminate  by  the  least  novelty  of  idea.  I 
saw  very  soon  tliat  the  controlling  sentiment  was  "the 
least  said  soonest  mended;"  and  I  abstained,  during  the 
fifteen  minutes'  visit,  from  mterfcrinni;  in  the  slifirhtest  de- 
gree  with  what  was  no  doubt  prescribed  as  the  course 


TO  MR.  CASS.  59 

fittest  and  fairest  for  all  concerned.  There  then  is  an  end 
of  that  tantaniarara:  redeunt  saturnia  regna: — and  you  may 
rest  assured  that  your  minister  is  henceforward  safe  from 
such  storms. 

Lord  Malmesbury's  department  would  seem  to  me  to 
give  him  something  better  to  attend  to  than  deer-stalking. 
This  abandonment  of  Portugal  to  the  swoop  of  the  Impe- 
rial eagle,  on  a  point  too  of  so  much  professed  tenderness, 
puts  a  sharp  arrow  into  the  quiver,  as  well  as  a  broad  grin 
on  the  face,  of  the  Palmerstonian  opposition.  One  of  two 
things  : — either  the  government  of  Lord  Derby  did,  or  did 
not,  intervene  to  shield  at  least  the  honor  of  their  feeble 
friend : — if  they  did,  why  was  their  intervention  repelled 
by  their  dear  ally? — if  they  did  not,  why  thus  palpably 
sink  from  the  position  of  a  first  rate  power  ?  The  ques- 
tion grates  closely  on  the  very  spirit  which,  suddenly 
evoked  by  Milner  Gibson,  deposed  Lord  Palmerston. 
The  French  editors,  too,  are  taking  now  pretty  much  the 
contemptuous  and  defiant  attitude  taken  by  the  French 
colonels  then.  Popular  feeling  is  rousing:  and  by  the 
time  Parliament  meets,  it  may  become  a  small  hurricane 
like  that  of  February  last,  only  taking  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. 

Flags,  as  well  as  feathers,  shew  how  the  wind  blows. 
On  the  very  day  that  Portugal  surrendered  the  "  Charles 
et  Qeorges^'  at  the  summons  of  Louis  ]!^apoleon,  Marshal 
Pelissier,  for  the  first  time,  hoisted  over  his  embassy  at 
Albert  Gate,  the  tricolor,  and  there  it  has  continued, 
fiouting  the  air,  and  exciting  curious  enquiries  as  to  its 
import.  Just  at  the  same  time,  as  if  to  console  by  blan- 
dishment, the  excellent  Count  and  Countess  Lavradio  are 
commanded  to  Windsor  Castle.  Of  course,  the  despatch 
of  the  Count  soothed  the  Court  of  Lisbon  with  the  idea 
that  his  flattering  reception  at  such  a  juncture  was  an 
ample  equivalent  for  the  loss  of  the  slaver. 

Tlie  controversy  about  the  Jewish  boy,  who  was  bap- 
tized into  Christianity  by  a  sort  of  nurse,  then  taken  in 
charge  by  the  Roman  priests  as  a  brand  plucked  and  to 
be  saved  from  the  burning,  and  as  to  whose  restoration  to 
his  parents  the  Pope  says  '•'-non  possumus^"  is  in  full  blast 
all  over  Europe.  It  is  egging  on  Louis  Kapoleon  to  a 
quarrel  with  the  Hoh^  Father;  some  say,  nothing  loth  to 
find  pleas  for  re-enacting  his  uncle's  coronation  courtship 


60  TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

of  Pins  VII.  If  the  case  of  this  child,  Mortara,  were  for 
judgment  before  King  Solomon,  he  would  be  puzzled,  as 
be  was  once  before:  -and  I  think  that  I  perceive  that  his 
reference  to  the  headsman  is  a  hint  for  the  disposition  of 
such  knotty  points  not  altogether  forgotten,  though  per- 
haps perverted.  The  lad,  at  a  college  of  catechumens, 
is  reported  very,  very  ill. 

Much  power  of  oratory  expended  on  her  Majesty's  sub- 
jects of  late!  as  a  general  current,  not  unlike  the  dull, 
turbid,  and  repulsive  Thames  of  the  last  summer  solstice. 
Mr.  John  Bright,  M.P.  for  Birmingham,  has,  however,  in 
addressing  his  constituents  the  day  before  yesterday,  made 
a  stirring  speech  on  Reform,  almost  sufficiently  democratic 
for  a  4th  of  July  at  Tammany  Hall.  This  rich  cream  is 
more  to  one's  taste  than  the  bonny-clabber  of  the  Liver- 
pool meeting  of  the  Social  Science  Association.  One  re- 
sult of  these  agitations  is  striking,  and  is  apparent  more 
to  veterans  than  to  novices  like  myself: — they  are  said  to 
foreshadow  the  early  downfall  of  the  present  ministry.  In 
liis  brief  compliment  to  Lord  John  Russell,  Mr.  Bright  is 
thought  to  have  indicated  the  only  Premier  the  Manches- 
ter party  will  accept  as  successor  to  Derby. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  225.-T0  ME.  GILPIN. 

London,  October  31,  1858. 

My  dear  Gilpin, — Mr,  Bright's  picture  of  England's 
domestic  politics  must  have  its  "  pendant"  on  foreign 
policy: — so  here  it  is,  and  perhaps  you  will  say  the  better 
of  the  two. 

I  forget  whether  even  a  scrap  of  the  eloquence  of  either 
of  the  Gracchi  has  come  down  to4is  :  (how  is  that  ?)  they 
were  always  favorites  of  mine  : — now  take  the  two  speeches 
of  Mr.  Bright  together,  and  do  they  not  give  him  a  claim 
to  rank  with  these  jewels  of  Cornelia,  and  as  a  diamond 
of  the  first  water  ? 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  61 


No.  226.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

LoKDON,  November  5,  1858. 

Mt  dear  Sir, — One  can't  help  being  struck  by  the 
singular  sensitiveness  which  seems  to  prevail  here  about 
a  French  invasion.  All  the  stump  speakers,  all  the  daily 
papers,  all  the  ponderous  periodicals,  do  their  best  to  argue 
it  doAvn,  or  laugh  it  off.  This  very  effort  keeps  it  on  the 
qui  live.  Two  days  ago,  at  Queenstown,  in  Ireland,  a 
junior  lieutenant,  left  by  superiors  in  command  of  a  war 
steamer,  took  it  into  his  head,  after  a  late  dinner  given  to 
some  shore  companions,  to  signalize  the  occasion  by  a  suc- 
cession of  salutes.  He  fired  away,  larboard  and  starboard, 
for  some  twenty  minutes,  and  this  far  in  the  night.  Con- 
iicuere  omnes,  intentique : — "the  French  are  come!"  the 
whole  town  shook  with  panic.  Officers  convened,  move- 
ments were  concerted,  deputations  arranged,  and  imagina- 
tive ladies  fainted.  Returning  silence  set  guessing  at 
work;  and  when  day  came  it  was  soon  ascertained  that 
the  eccentric  and  insubordinate  son  of  a  gallant  old  Ad- 
miral had  kicked  up  all  that  there  was  of  a  "French  in- 
vasion." In  revenge  for  the  terror  he  had  inspired,  he 
was  arrested;  and  I  suspect  he  will  have  a  hard  time  of 
it  for  causing  the  universal  apprehension  to  betray  itself. 
All  this  is  natural  when  you  consider  the  peculiar  local- 
ity, press,  principles,  pretensions,  and  antecedents  of  Eng- 
land. As  her  hand  is  ready  against  every  other  nation, 
she  instinctively  feels  that  the  hand  of  any  one  sufficiently 
powerful  must  be  against  her. 

The  Times  of  this  morning  contains  a  merciless  column 
against  the  present  ambassador  of  France.  It  rakes  up 
the  savage  exploit  of  burning  500  Arabs  in  their  rocky 
den,  and  quotes  the  strong  denunciations  pronounced  at 
the  time  in  Paris  against  so  barbarous  an  act.  What  is 
meant  hereby?  To  make  London,  like  the  refuge  of  his 
victims,  too  hot  to  hold  Pelissier?  To  prepare  the  rein- 
statement of  Persigny  ?  Or  is  it  a  mere  catering  to  the 
existing  and  sweUing  discontent  with  the  Imperial  ally? 
Most  likely,  the  last : — for  the  Times  has  gone  far  and  deep 
in  multiplying  attacks  on  Louis  Napoleon,  especially  since 
his  treatment  of  the  Portuguese  for  intermeddling  with 
ihe  black  emigration  scheme. 


62  TO   MR.  CASS. 

London  is  reviving.  The  members  of  the  cabinet 
have  returned  to  their  official  residences.  The  Queen  has 
held  a  Privy  Council  at  Windsor.  Courts  of  Justice  have 
begun  business.  Galleries  of  Art  are  opening.  Science 
is  marshalling  her  lectures.  Soirees,  theatres,  and  equip- 
ages are  agog.  "The  noise  of  battle  hurtles  in  the  air." 
Be  patient  a  little  while,  and  I  shall  have  more  dainty 
food  to  dish  up  in  these  '■'■iiotce  variorum." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  227 -TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  November  12,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Mr.  Pickens  has  sent  me  by  a  private 
messenger  such  loads  of  despatches  from  St.  Petersburg, 
which  he  describes  to  me  in  a  note  as  specially  confiden- 
tial, that  I  shrink  frohi  putting  anything  in  the  Bag  which 
can  distract  your  attention,  especially  at  the  season  when 
the  Message  is  on  the  anvil. 

Count  Montalembert  would  seem  to  have  a  peculiar 
relish  for  martyrdom.  His  pamphlet  of  panegyric  upon 
England  in  derogation  of  France  introduces  him  to  a 
criminal  court  in  the  manner  most  acceptable  to  the  Em- 
peror, for  it  brings  the  national  feeling  to  co-operate  with 
the  Crown  in  its  policy  of  silencing  the  Press.  The 
gauntlet  thus  indiscreetly  thrown  is  instantly  picked  up 
by  one  who,  in  so  doing,  loses  the  character  of  oppressor 
and  becomes,  as  against  a  hated  rival,  the  champion  of 
his  country.  This  result  is  being  aided  by  the  Times, 
which  devotes  countless  columns  of  exultation  to  the  re- 
publication of  the  essay.  The  Count's  purpose  was  doubt- 
less a  generous  and  brave  one: — but  like  many  an  impru- 
dent advocate,  he  has,  in  his  anglomaniac  zeal,  given  to 
his  cause  the  very  worst  stab  it  has  yet  received. 

In  general  opinion  here,  the  Morning  Henild  is  the 
government  paper.  It  has  latterly  sought  to  be  interest- 
ing by  commenting  upon  our  uncontrollable  tendency  to 
expand  and  annex.  The  Monroe  doctrine  is  stigmatized 
as  a  "6'0/>  addressed  to  American  vanity :"  and  it  is  insisted 
that   on    the   other,  as   on    this    side  of  the   Atlantic,  a 


TO  MR.  FAIR.  63 

^'■balance  of  power  must  be  upheld."  Yesterday  the  Central 
American  States  were  the  pivot  on  which  these  remarks 
revolved  ;  to-day  it  is  Mexico,  and  the  necessity  of  Euro- 
pean intervention  to  preserve  her  demoralized  weakness 
•  from  sinking  into  our  athletic  embrace  is  distinctly  stated. 
Xow,  this  is  all  fanfaronade  if  it  be  not  ministerial : — but 
if  the  latter,  it  mounts  into  importance,  is  inconsistent 
with  protestations  to  which  I  have  heretofore  listened  at 
the  Foreign  Office  and  have  formally  reported  to  you,  and 
is  entitled  to  grave  attention.  Spain  may  yet  under  the 
auspices  of  England  be  tempted  to  make  a  spasmodic 
effi)rt  for  the  restoration  of  her  Mexican  dominion.  A 
word,  a  single  word,  importing  American  unanimity  and 
inflexibility  on  the  topic,  would  crush  the  egg-shell  pro- 
ject forever. 

Yon  have  doubtless  observed  the  French  Emperor's  re- 
treat from  his  free  emigration  scheme  as  to  the  negroes; 
his  letter  to  Prince  Jerome  directing  a  thorough  investi- 
gation, and  hinting  that  white  slaverj^  is  perhaps  as  good 
as  black,  and  that  Coolies  may  be  made  to  work  as  well 
as  Africans.  Some  persons  are  ill-natured  enough  to  re- 
gard this  as  a  mere  ironical  feint  on  the  part  of  his  Ma- 
jesty. I  do  not.  He  is  a  sincere  politic  penitent.  "Xe.s- 
Ainis  des  Noirs"  are  at  once  numerous  and  fashionable  in 
Paris : — while  pig-tailed  and  scalp-tufted  Chinese  are  rare 
and  no  go. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  228 -TO  ME.  FAIR. 

Lo^TDON,  November  16,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, —  Your  letter  of  the  13th  instant  is  just 
received. 

The  positive  provision  of  the  act  of  1856,  that  "  no  at- 
tach^ shall  be  allowed  in  any  case,"  has,  I  presume,  been 
conformed  to  by  our  foreign  legations  since  it  became 
known.  I  am  aware  of  but  a  single  instance  of  what  bore 
the  appearance  of  its  evasion  : — that  of  a  young  gentle- 
man whose  card,  brought  in  to  me  about  a  year  ago, 
described  him  as  '^secretaire  in  time  de  S.  E,  le  31inistre  des 


64  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Etats-Unis.'"     Perhaps  as  personal  or  private  secretary  he 
obtained  all  the  circulation  he  desired. 

The  mischief  aarainst  which  the  law  is  aimed  had  lono; 
been  noticed  at  the  department  of  iState,  and  was  often  em- 
barrassing to  our  diplomatic  representatives.  Under  the* 
old  usage,  unpaid  attaches  might  be  created  without  stint 
as  to  number:  and  a  train  so  composed  was  thought,  and 
justly  thought,  to  give  eclat  to  a  mission.  Kow  it  fre- 
quently happened  that  the  minister,  always  conscious  of 
the  invidious  nature  of  selecting  from  his  young  country- 
men, preferred  giving  his  appointments  without  discrimi- 
nation and  to  every  one  who  asked.  American  attaches 
became  as  plentiful  as  blackberries,  and  sometimes  de- 
ranged by  their  intermeddling  the  business  of,  or  by  their 
deportment,  threw  discredit  upon,  the  legation.  Con- 
gress, moved  no  doubt  by  the  Secretary  of  State,  Gov. 
Marcy,  who  was  pitiless  against  showy  pretension,  struck 
at  the  root  of  the  evil  by  an  express  prohibition.  I  have 
occasionally  wished  to  possess  the  discretion  : — but  on  the 
whole  perceive  many  inconveniences  in  which  I  should  be 
involved  by  it,  and  have  therefore  no  reluctance  in  strictly 
complying  with  the  law. 

Do  me  the  favor  to  believe  that  it  will  always  give  me 
pleasure  to  be  allowed  to  interchange  with  j-ou^ views  on 
public  topics. 

Faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  229.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  November  19,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  wiH  find  in  the  Bag  'of  to-day  a 
despatch  addressed  to  Mr.  Toucey  which  conveys  an  in- 
teresting document  respecting  the  pay  and  allowances 
of  British  naval  officers,  and  will  enable  him  satisfactorily, 
as  far  as  this  country  is  concerned,  to  answer  a  resolution 
of  the  House  of  last  session.  Pray  expedite  his  reception 
of  it. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  England  has  rather  tired 
of  the  Protectorate  assigned  to  her  over  the  Ionian 
Islands,  and  is  planning  to  pick  the  plum  out  of  the  pud- 


TO    MR.  CASS.*  65 

ding,  that  is,  to  retain  Corfu,  as  a  military  post,  and  let 
the  rest  go  to  Greece,  or  elsewhere.  This  course,  hardly 
reconcilable  with  her  public  obligations,  must  be  made 
at  least  plausibly  proper: — and  so  Lord  Derby  has  lately 
sent  Mr.  Gladstone  to  visit  these  Homeric  regions  and  to 
report  what  is  best  to  be  done,  not  doubting  that  he  will 
reach  the  conclusion  already  attained  by  the  cabinet.  The 
member  for  the  Oxford  University,  the  finished  scholar 
and  too  musical  rhetorician — the  Preston,  as  I  might  de- 
scribe him,  of  the  House  of  Commons  -scarcely  crossed 
the  Channel,  in  his  progress  up  the  Mediterranean,  before 
out  came  a  series  of  oiiicial  documents  in  the  newspapers 
shewing  that  the  alleged  enquiry  for  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed had  been  fully,  eifectually,  and  satisfactorily  made 
by  the  British  representative  actually  there.  All  the  op- 
position at  once  open  cry.  It  is  termed  a  shabby  and 
treacherous  treatment  of  an  eminent  statesman,  who  com- 
mitted himself  by  accepting  office  under  this  ministry 
merely  because  he  wished  to  render  a  patriotic  service. 
Mr.  Gladstone  is  depicted  as  placed  in  a  most  awkward 
and  ludicrous  predicament : — to  get  out  of  which  it  is  pre- 
dicted that  he  will  at  once  throw  up  his  commission  in 
disgust.  What  follows  on  the  heel  of  this  seemingly  well- 
founded  explosion?  Why,  another  complication.  The 
Colonial  Department,  under  the  signature  of  Sir  Edw'd 
Bulwer  Lytton's  private  secretary,  alleges  that  the  official 
documents  have  been  surreptitiouslj'  taken  from  the  tiles 
and  published,  without  the  assent  or  knowledge  of  her 
Majesty's  government!  This  is  the  present  almost  ab- 
sorbing topic.  No  doubt  the  desire  is  great  to  "  fan  the 
embers"  of  a  quarrel  which  may  induce  the  Peelites  to 
merge  into  the  ranks  of  opposition. 

The  appointment  by  Prince  Jerome  of  Count  Persigny, 
whose  anglomania  is  even  greater  than  that  of  Montalem- 
bert,  to  be  president  of  the  committee  to  examine  and 
report  upon  the  nature  of  the  Black  Emigrant  scheme,  re- 
moves all  doubt,  and  is  thought  to  denote  a  foregone  con- 
clusion in  the  Imperial  mind  to  give  it  up. 

Lords  Palmerston  and  Clarendon  have  gone  to  Com- 
piegne,  and  the  political  reunion,  or  rather  the  reunion  of 
politicians  at  that  place,  is  regarded  as  something  signifi- 
cant. Of  one  thing  its  significance  is  strong,  to  wit,  that 
her  Majesty's  late  Premier  and  principal  Secretary  for 

VOL.  II. — 5 


66  TO  MR.  TOUCEY. 

Foreign  Affairs  are  being  very  careless  of  their  popularity 
at  home.  This  visit  of  theirs  gives  countenance  to  the 
subservient  predilection  of  which  they  have  been  accused, 
and  the  belief  in  which  produced  their  fall  on  the  19th  of 
February  last.  Ordinary  minds  draw  ordinary  conclu- 
sions, and  this  sort  of  intimacy,  wholly  uncalled  for  in  the 
existing  state  of  feeling  among  the  masses  of  both  coun- 
tries, gives  rise  to  the  most  prejudicial  inferences. 

Parliament  has  undergone  a  second  prorogation,  to  the 
2d  of  January,  when  a  similar  formality  will  be  enacted 
for  the  first  week  in  February  and — for  the  despatch  of 
business. 

Lord  Elgin's  two  brothers,  Brnces,  mount  the  back  of 
his  Chinese  Treaty,  one  as  Ambassador  to  Pekin,  the 
other  as  Governor  to  the  Prince  of  Wales. 

Since  my  last  week's  note,  I  observed  in  a  newspaper's 
correspondent  at  Madrid  that,  after  a  long  interview  held 
with  the  Foreign  Secretary  by  the  English  and  French 
ministers,  a  squadron  had  been  ordered  to  Vera  Cruz. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  230.-TO  ME.  TOUOEY. 

London,  November  29,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — After  my  letter  to  you,  returning  the 
credit  on  the  Barings  for  |500,  Colonel  Guernsey  obtained 
the  written  consent  of  the  Queen  to  his  engaging  in  our 
service,  and  shewed  me  a  note  from  Mr.  Hammond  say- 
ing that  the  document  was  at  the  Foreign  Office,  to  be 
had  on  the  payment  of  about  fifty  dollars  office  fees.  He 
exhibited  also  strong  testimonials  from  the  Duke  of  Cam- 
bridge, General  Burgoyne,  General  Evans,  General  Hill, 
etc.  etc.,  as  to  his  military  qualifications:  and  he  impressed 
me  with  a  conviction  that  his  familiarity  with  the  topo- 
graphical features  and  garrison  equipments  of  Paraguay, 
would  make  his  presence  on  board  our  squadron  quite 
useful.  Military  operations,  dependent  upon  the  depth  of 
water  in  the  river,  could  not  begin  before  February: — so 
that  there  was  ample  time  for  him  to  reach  Buenos  Ayres. 

I  determined  to  send  him:  and  arranged  with  Messrs. 


TO  MR.  SPEAKER  DENNISOX,  67 

Baring  Brothers  &  Co.,  for  an  advance  of  $500  to  pay  his 
expenses  out.  During  the  whole  of  last  week,  I  expected 
him  daily  at  the  legation  to  complete  the  transaction, 
bring  me  her  Majesty's  leave,  take  his  money,  letters  and 
final  instructions,  and  speed  to  the  rendezvous.  I  agreed 
that  his  compensation  should  be  at  the  rate  of  pay  allowed 
in  our  army  to  a  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  Engineers.  He 
came  not:  and  my  two  successive  notes  to  you  of  the  23d 
and  26th  instant  were  written  in  impatient  expectation  of 
his  coming. 

The  mystery  of  his  dilatory  action  has  been  suddenly 
solved.  The  evening  newspaper  of  last  Saturday,  the 
Globe,  contained  a  detailed  examination  at  the  Bow  Street 
Police  Court  on  that  morning,  shewing  his  arrest  and 
commitment  upon  the  criminal  charge  of  having  stolen 
the  much-talked-of  Ionian  despatches  from  the  Colonial 
Office!  So,  there  is  an  end  to  this  Free  Knight: — he 
won't  destroy  Lopez ;  he  won't  disgrace  the  American 
service,  and  he  won't  pocket  our  cash!  I  send  you  a 
printed  narrative. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  231.-T0  MR.  SPEAKER  DENNISON. 

LoxDOX,  December  4,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  beg  you  to  excuse  my  apparent  re- 
missness in  not  before  answering  your  note  of  the  22d 
ultimo: — attributable  to  a  short  absence  from  town  and  a 
press  of  official  engagements. 

The  spirit  of  party,  in  America  as  in  all  free  countries, 
is  prone  to  goad  in  moments  of  excitement  to  acts  of  in- 
justice. Majorities,  each  in  turn,  may  abuse  power  by 
dealing  with  the  minority  impatiently  and  illiberally. 
But  what  has  long  stood  its  ground  as  a  rule  of  legislative 
action,  surviving  changes  in  party  ascendency  and  the 
criticism  of  tranquil  times,  must  be  presumed  to  possess 
substantive  and  independent  merit.  Such  I  regard  to  be 
the  case  with  our  Congressional  ^'■Previous  Question." 

It  is  not  practised  in  the  Senate,  whose  numbers  are 
comparatively  few  and  graver  in  age.     But  in  the  House 


08  TO   MR.  SPEAKER  DE^NISON. 

of  Representatives  it  is  resorted  to,  with  a  view  to  expe- 
dite measures  known  to  be  exigent,  and  to  break  through 
the  entanghng  meshes  of  amendments,  or  to  close  a  worn- 
out  debate.  The  Rules  of  the  House,  carefully  matured 
in  advance,  prescribe  its  modes  of  use  and  its  effects.  It 
has  disadvantages  no  doubt: — but  its  conceded  beneficial 
working  on  the  whole  has  preserved  it  through  shifting 
currents  of  political  storms.  Public  opinion,  which  soon 
becomes  all-powerful  with  us,  has  never  yet  condemned 
the  "Previous  Question"  as  exercised  in  the  House.  On 
the  contrary,  it  has  been  generally  esteemed,  as  well  by 
the  enlightened  as  the  popular  mind,  a  check  upon  fac- 
tious dissipation  of  time  and  money,  and  a  wholesome 
corrective  to  profuse  or  "  bunkum"  speaking. 

Your  "distinguished  American  who  was  in  London 
last  year"  had  perhaps  personally  suffered  under  the  rule, 
and  owed  it  a  grudge.  If  he  mentioned  the  instances  of 
the  Annexation  of  Texas  and  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law  as 
unaccompanied  by  discussion,  he  was  sadly  in  error.  Par- 
don a  few  particulars  to  shew  this. 

The  former  question  not  only  occupied  the  whole  coun- 
try during  the  Presidential  canvass  of  1844,  in  which  one 
party  made  it  the  principal  and  victorious  issue,  for  the 
popular  verdict,  but,  after  being  recommended  to  Con- 
gress by  President  Tyler  in  his  Message  on  the  3d  of  De- 
cember of  that  year,  it  was  on  the  19th,  in  the  form  of  a 
Joint  Resolution,  referred  to  the  "  Committee  of  the  whole 
House  on  the  State  of  the  Union  ;"  and  thenceforward,  at 
fifteen  full  meetings  of  the  House  in  Committee,  during 
nearly  half  the  session,  it  was  debated  with  great  ability 
(but  '■'■usque  ad  nauseam^'),  and  it  was  only  (a  directory  or- 
der for  closing  the  discussion  having  passed  the  House  on 
the  21st  of  January,  '45,  by  102  to  54),  finally  decided 
under  the  "Previous  Question"  on  the  25th  of  January, 
'45,  120  to  .98. 

Being  now  transferred  to  the  Senate,  it  underwent  far- 
ther and  more  elaborate  consideration.  The  same  ques- 
tion had  engaged  that  body  upon  movements  of  its  own 
members.  One  Senator,  McDuffie,  had  introduced  a 
joint  resolution  for  the  annexation  of  Texas,  on  the 
10th  December,  '44 :  another,  Niles,  on  7th  January, 
'45:  and  a  third,  Foster,  on  the  13th  January:  —  but 
the  great  debate,  or  pitched  battle,  was  reserved  for  the 


TO  MR.  SPEAKER  DENNISON.  69 

coming  House  measure.  That  measure  came  in  on  the 
28th  January,  '45,  was  sent  to  a  committee,  was  re- 
ported upon  adversely  on  the  4th  of  February,  but  was 
taken  up  in  its  order  on  the  13th  February:  and  thence- 
forward, at  every  daily  meeting  of  the  Senate,  and  some- 
times twice  a  day,  it  was  the  standing  order  and  exclusive 
topic,  until  the  27th  of  Februarj^  (within  four  days  of  the 
close  of  the  session  of  Congress),  when,  debate  being 
drained  to  the  lees,  no  one  capable  or  willing  to  add 
another  word,  it  passed  by  a  majority  of  two  votes  only. 

I  very  much  doubt  whether  any  act  of  legislation  has 
undergone  a  more  thorough,  full,  fair,  and  satisfactory 
discussion  than  did  the  annexation  of  Texas  by  Congress. 

As  to  the  Fugitive  Slave  Law,  the  sphere  of  its  discus- 
sion was,  owing  to  exceedingly  special  circumstances, 
almost  exclusively  the  Senate.  It  was  introduced  there 
by  the  Committee  on  the  Judiciary,  on  the  16th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1850,  and  was  soon  after  made  by  Mr.  Clay  one  of 
a  set  or  cluster  of  measures  which  constituted  his  cele- 
brated Compromise  of  that  year.  As  a  feature  in  his  com- 
prehensive plan,  it  underwent  debate,  as  unrestricted  as 
able,  for  thirty-three  days.  So  much  time,  indeed,  was 
taken  up  by  these  discussions,  that  the  bill  did  not  reach 
the  House  of  Representatives  until  the  26tli  of  August, 
nine  months  from  the  opening  of  the  session.  As  a  com- 
ponent and  indispensable  part  of  the  adjusted  compromise, 
its  prompt  adoption,  in  the  approved  shape,  was  required 
by  the  state  and  voice  of  the  country.  It  passed  upon  a 
demand  for  the  "Previous  Question,"  on  the  12th  of  Sep- 
tember, 109  to  76  : — and  Congress  closed  one  of  its  longest 
and  most  agitated  sessions  in  about  two  weeks  after- 
wards. 

I  have  gone  into  these  two  cited  instances  of  what  is 
thought  an  abuse  of  the  "Previous  Question"  by  the 
House  of  Representatives,  as  pieces  of  legislative  history 
which  you  will  perhaps  think  interesting,  and  principally 
to  shew  you  how  little  they  justify  the  grumblers  against 
its  exercise. 

I  have  said,  it  has  not  found  its  way  into  the  Senate. 
But  there  is  another  expedient  there  for  maintaining,  on 
emergencies,  the  rightful  power  of  the  majority  to  control 
the  business  of  the  Body : — that  is,  a  motion  to  lay  what- 
ever is  under  discussion  upon  the  table:  whence,  indeed,  it 


70  TO  MR.  CASS. 

may  be  subsequently  taken,  but  not  without  a  successful 
motion  to  that  eflect. 

Always  very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  232.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  10,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  young  roues  of  London,  on  cross- 
ing the  Atlantic,  would  naturally  be  curious  to  see  the 
wild  life  of  the  Western  savages.  JSTo  one,  therefore, 
doubted  the  rumor,  published  two  days  ago,  that  the  three 
English  noblemen  who  have  been  travelling  in  the  States, 
had  penetrated  far  into  the  northwest  of  Canada,  had  had  a 
tight  with  a  tribe  of  natives,  and  were  all  murdered.  The 
sensation  produced  was  after  their  own  hearts.  Fortu- 
nately, Lord  Shaftesbury,  one  of  the  fathers,  had  received 
an  explanation  of  the  story  and  was  able  yesterday,  as  he 
says  ^'■providential/A/"  (for  his  lordship  is  of  the  class  particu- 
larly pious)  to  contradict  "  the  massacre "  taken  from 
"  American  journals  "  whose  origin  is  only  "the  murder 
of  two  traders  "  by  Indians  last  August.  Poor  traders  ! — 
still,  we  are  all  pleased  to  hear  that  the  nobles  are  safe. 

Louis  Napoleon  and  Montalembert  are  still  at  their 
game  of  chess.  It  is  the  Emperor's  move.  The  epigram- 
matic pardon  (whose  sting  lay  in  reminding  the  Count 
that  he  was  among  the  faithful  actors  of  the  2d  of  Decem- 
ber) is  spurned,  and  the  appeal  perfected.  Can  his  Ma- 
jesty pardon  what  Mr.  Berryer  reasons  and  the  court  may 
adjudge  to  be  no  oft'ence  ?  Various  are  the  opinions  on 
this  subtle  point.  The  Count  is  pushing  boldly  before 
the  Judges  to  checkmate  his  adversary: — let  him  take 
heed,  lest  by  the  sudden  refusal  of  the  Procureur  Imperial 
to  make  another  move,  the  game  takes  the  unsatisfactory 
turn  of  a  ^^  stale."  That  would  subject  him  to  the  "  hides 
suspects  "  of  last  February  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  or  rather 
for  the  rest  of  the  Emperor's  reign,  which  promises  to  be 
the  shorter  of  the  two.  Professors  Morphy  and  Stanton, 
hide  your  diminished  heads  ! 

A  bitter  hatred  to  each  other  is  vented  daily  by  the 
masses  on  the  two  sides  of  the  Channel.     It  is  getting  be- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  71 

yond  the  power  of  repression  by  the  respective  govern- 
ments. As  I  ventured  to  foresee  would  be  the  case,  the 
visit  of  Lords  Palmerston  and  Chxrendon  to  Corapiegne 
has  brought  a  cataract  of  reproaches  upon  their  heads. 
Count  Montalembert  is  prosecuted  without  a  single  popu- 
lar murmur,  because  he  praises  England.  Where  is  the 
wisdom  that  can  tell  which  of  these  two  nations  is  right  in 
her  hostility  ?  Or  are  both  wrong  ?  One  thing  is  clear  to 
the  rest  of  the  world,  to  wit,  that  it  is  easier  to  like  a  volatile 
Frenchman  than  a  bullying  Briton.  Here  is  a  mangy 
M.  P. — one  Henry  Drummond — an  F.  R.  S.  (which  may 
sometimes  mean  a  Fellow  Rather  Savage),  who,  because  he 
chooses  to  pick  a  controversy  with  Mr.  Bright,  snarls  at  the 
whole  world,  and  especially  snaps  at  the  United  States  in 
the  following  precious  sentences : — '•'■Their  'pretended  love 
of  freedom  is  the  most  barefaced  falsehood  that  ever  existed. 
They  are  utterly  without  'private  or  public  honor,  and  the  only 
people  on  earth  who  ever  avowed  that  gain  was  their  sole  object 
in  every  relationship  of  life."  That  from  an  F.  R.  S.  of  72  ! 
Out  upon  such  fellowship.  If  English  philosophy  deal  in 
calumny,  in  what  ma}^  not  English  anger  and  arrogance 
deal  ?  We  can't  honestly  saj^  "a6  uno  disce  omnes ;" — but, 
in  reference  to  national  attributes,  it  is  impossible  not 
to  acquiesce  in  the  '•^  ex  pede  Hercidem."  Drummond,  it 
may  be  feared,  is  a  specimen  brick. 

A  careless  phrase  or  two,  let  drop  at  a  review  by  the 
King  of  Sardinia,  combined  with  a  general  restlessness 
and  discontent  in  the  north  of  Italy,  fanned  by  the  anti- 
Austrian  feeling  in  France,  gives  promise  of  an  outbreak 
in  the  spring.  Let  it  come.  For  really  Europe,  under 
the  auspices  of  a  Bonaparte  too,  is  retrograding  so  fast 
into  medieval  wretchedness,  that  nothing  can  save  it  but 
a  grand  smash.  This  is  not  mine,  but  the  sentiment  of 
the  day.  At  present,  Victor  Emmanuel  is  busy  in  riveting 
the  afl'ections  of  Russia,  conceding  Villafranca,  and  enter- 
taining most  cordiall}'  H.  I.  H,  the  Grand  Duke  Constan- 
tine  and  his  household. 

I  ought  to  hurry  in  retracting  some  of  the  conclusions 
expressed  in  my  last,  drawn  from  the  premature  publicity 
given  to  the  despatches  of  the  High  Commissioner  of  the 
Ionian  Islands.  It  now  appears  that  these  documents 
were  purloined  by  a  military  engineer  (upon  whom,  by- 
the-by,  Mr.  Toucey  and  I  were  very  near  conferring  the 


72  TO  MR.  CASS. 

immortality  of  sharing  in  our  Paraguay  demonstration) 
from  the  Colonial  Office;  that  their  contents  never  had 
received  the  approval  of  government :  and  that  the  duty 
of  adhering  to  provisions  of  the  Treaty  of  1815  estab- 
lishing the  Protectorate  is  recognized  and  avowed.  To 
be  sure,  this  would  seem  to  reduce  the  extraordinary 
and  vaunted  mission  of  Mr.  Gladstone  to  a  mere  act  of 
patronage. 

Lord  Derby  steers  more  skilfully  than  was  anticipated. 
A  few  things  have  recently  deepened  the  groove  in  which 
he  moves.  The  proclamation  of  the  Queen  on  assuming 
the  sovereignty  of  her  200,000,000  of  Indian  subjects,  ob- 
tains unanimous  praise.  It  is  ascribed  to  Lord  Stanley. 
So,  the  discountenance  given  to  the  efforts  of  ship  owners 
to  unsettle  free-trade  by  insisting  upon  sharing  in  our 
coast  trade  as  a  right  of  reciprocity,  is  commended  by  the 
opposition.  Then  again  the  decided  aversion  to  filibus- 
tering, manifested  in  the  repulse  of  Rajah  Brooke  of  Sar- 
awak, is  favorably  contrasted  with  the  foreign  policy  of 
Lord  Palmerston,  and  what  perhaps  just  now  tells  power- 
fully on  popular  sentiment  is  the  cooler  distance  taken 
towards  French  rulers  and  men,  set  in  contrast  Avith  the 
course  of  their  rivals  both  before  and  since  downfall.  It 
is  said  that  Lord  Palmerston  frankly  declares  that  a  change 
would  not  at  present  be  an  improvement.  Mr.  Lowe, 
whom  you  had  in  Washington  two  years  ago,  a  man  of 
great  political  acuteness,  told  a  large  dinner  party  of  his 
constituents  two  days  ago,  that  he  was  unflinchingly  de- 
voted to  the  late  Premier,  but  that  his  restoration  could 
not  be  thought  of  for  a  year  or  two  to  come.  All  things 
are  uncertain : — but  I  am  inclined  to  think  that,  sports- 
man as  he  is,  more  of  the  stable  will  be  found  in  Lord 
Derby  than  in  most  prime  ministers. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  233.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  17,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Mr.  Toucey,  like  all  the  London  public, 
will  be  surprised  to  hear  that  my  quondam  recruit  for  Para- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  73 

guay,  Colonel  William  Guernsey,  has  been  tried  for  lar- 
ceny of  the  Ionian  despatches  and — acquitted!  His  dex- 
terous counsel  triumphed  over  the  Attorney-General  and 
the  court; — making  the  jury  believe  that  to  purloin  in 
order  to  publish  an  official  paper,  not  to  appropriate  it  to 
his  own  profit,  was  an  offence  which  lacked  the  essential 
quality  of  a  felony.  Government  prosecutions  thrive  only 
in  France  : — here,  as  with  us,  juries  like  to  rescue  hapless 
sufferers  from  the  grasp  of  authority. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  while  the  Emperor's  com- 
missioners are  actively  engaged  in  ascertaining  for  him 
the  real  character  of  free  emigration  from  Africa,  and  just 
at  the  moment  when  they  are  supposed  to  be  ready  to  re- 
port in  its  favor,  a  case  like  that  of  the  "  Charles  et  Georges  " 
occurs  on  the  western  coast  of  Africa.  The  zealous  com- 
mander of  H.  M.  S.  "Alecto"  (you  remember  that  name, 
don't  you,  in  connection  with  Cobb  &  Ellis's  "Caroline"  ?), 
egged  on  by  the  President  of  Liberia,  captured  the  French 
vessel  "  Phoenix,"  with  an  Imperial  representative  on  board 
and  negroes  stowed  in  the  hold.  The  culpable  craft  was 
taken  to  Monrovia.  As  this  government  lost,  in  the  esti- 
mation of  Europe,  much  of  its  dignity  by  failing  to  shield 
Portugal  from  the  peremptorv  resentment  of  Louis  Napo- 
leon, it  may  be  willing  to  lose  a  little  more  by  disavowing 
Captain  Hunt's  act,  and  pointing  to  President  Benson  as 
the  scape-goat. 

The  Reform  leader,  Mr.  Bright,  is  steadily  making  head- 
way. He  successfully,  if  not  victoriousl}-,  withstands  the 
combined  contumely  of  the  Times,  the  Morning  Herald,  and 
Punch.  His  speeches  are  read  by  everybody :  his  photo- 
graphs hang  in  all  public  nooks  and  corners :  his  audiences 
are  multitudinous  and  enthusiastic.  If  he  maintain  his 
attitude  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  once  enforce  a 
principle  by  carrying  a  measure,  it  will  be  difficult  to 
assign  a  limit  to  his  progress. 

All  the  world  are  on  tiptoe  for  the  Message.  It  cannot 
reach  us  until  two  days  after  this  letter  shall  have  left 
Liverpool.  These  democratic  state  papers  have  now  for 
more  than  half  a  century  been  giving  annually  their  pon- 
derous blows  upon  the  intelligence  and  integrity  of  Eu- 
rope, until  they  seem  to  be  accepted  as  the  periodical 
strokes  of  some  great  spiritual  bell  marking  the  advances 
of  humanity. 


74  TO  MR.  CASS. 

I  am  disposed  to  think,  notwithstanding  some  equivo- 
cal indications,  that  you  will  not  be  harassed  with  fresh 
complications  in  Central  America,  arising  out  of  the  land- 
ing of  troops.  Mr.  Seymour  Fitzgerald,  of  the  Foreign 
Office,  has  just  proclaimed  with  emphasis  that  non-inter- 
vention is  Lord  Derby's  cardinal  principle : — and,  to  say 
the  truth,  I  have  more  confidence  in  Mr.  Fitzgerald  than 
in  the  Earl  of  Malmesbury. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  234.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  24,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — During  the  last  day  or  two  a  protracted 
spell  of  some  six  or  eight  weeks  of  wretchedly  dark  and 
damp  weather  has  been  broken  in  upon  by  glimpses  of 
sunshine.  Let  us  postpone  the  project  of  suicide,  at  least 
during  the  festivities  of  Christmas.  So,  many  compli- 
ments of  the  season  to  you  I 

General  Pierce  is  tracing  the  vestiges  of  his  executive 
predecessor  Tiberius  at  the  delicious  little  island  of  Capri 
in  the  mouth  of  the  Bay  of  I^aples.  I  heard  from  him 
yesterday.  The  cold  at  Florence  was  disagreeable  and 
unkind  to  Mrs  P.,  who,  though  improved  by  travelling,  is 
still  exceedingly  delicate.  The  picturesque  islet  promises 
much  better,  and  will  be  adhered  to  until  the  close  of  next 
month.     Thence,  to  Rome. 

It  is  difficult  to  say  whether  the  game  of  chess  played  by 
Napoleon  and  Montalembert  has  dwindled  to  a  drawn  one, 
or  which  of  the  champions  comes  off  the  better  The 
Count  exults  in  having  by  his  appeal  proved  the  absurditj' 
of  his  pardon ;  in  reversing  that  portion  of  his  sentence 
which  subjected  him  to  tiie  arbitrary  provisions  of  the 
February  law  of  "suspects;"  and  in  reducing  by  one  half 
the  term  of  his  imprisonment.  The  Emperor,  on  his  part, 
makes  a  merit  of  mercy,  fastens  upon  his  victim  the  dis- 
credit of  petty  police  offences,  has  him  roundly  lashed  for 
anglomania  l)y  the  eloquence  of  the  Procureur-General, 
Destange,  and  either  puts  him  in  jail  for  three  months  or 
forces  him  to  swallow  the  pill  of  a  pardon.     IsTo  political 


TO   MR.  CASS.  75 

result  can  follow:  because  there  is  nothing  excessive  in 
the  penalties,  and  praise  of  England  is  treason  to  France, 
in  the  sense  of  the  Blouses. 

You  must  not  be  too  credulous  of  the  Earl  of  Eglin- 
toun's  Proclamation.  There  may  be  secret  societies  in 
Ireland  as  elsewhere:  apprentices,  clerks,  and  counterboys 
achieve  importance  and  notoriety  by  mysterious  aflllia- 
tion: — but  there  are  no  revolutionists,  and  no  filibusters. 
The  arrests  thus  far  have  pompously  secured  some  twenty 
lads  of  14  or  15  years  of  age,  accused  of  drilling  at  night 
in  the  open  fields,  and  one  girl  charged  with  writing  sedi- 
tion !  And  these  are  the  heroes  said  to  be  awaiting  the 
arrival  of  Generals  Walker  and  Henningsen!  It  is  hard 
to  discover  a  decent  apology  for  all  the  police  pother  of 
the  Viceregal  government. 

The  signal  failure  of  General  Prim  in  the  Spanish 
legislature  to  have  a  war  with  Mexico  discountenanced, 
would  seem  enough  to  put  you  all  upon  your  guard.  The 
only  question  is  whether  the  invasion  which  it  means  is 
to  be  a  joint  one  by  France,  England,  and  Spain,  or  a 
separate  one  by  Spain  only. 

ISTo  doubt  your  news  from  China  is  later  than  mine. 
But  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  say  that  my  last  letter  from 
Mr.  Reed  is  dated  Shanghai,  20th  October.  He  had  re- 
turned from  Japan,  and  was  engaged  with  a  new  tariif. 
He  quits  for  home  about  the  present  time,  and  contem- 
plated reaching  London,  via  Bombay,  Egypt,  Malta,  and 
Italy,  in  March  next. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  235.-TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  December  31,  1858. 

My  dear  Sir, — Mr.  H.  F.  Polydore,  a  much-respected 
English  solicitor,  desires  to  express  his  thanks  all  round, 
for  the  rescue  of  his  3'oung  daughter  from  the  sink  of 
Mormonisra.  I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  his  exceedingly 
well-worded  letter  to  me.  The  facts  are  doubtless  fresh 
in  your  remembrance.  As  the  incidents  which  preceded 
the  child's  abduction,  and  captivity  in  Utah,  have  been 


76  TO  ME.  CASS. 

extensively  published,  and  as  lier  restoration  to  her  father 
is  a  pleasing  episode  of  warlike  operations,  I  suggest  the 
propriety  of  letting  Mr.  Polydore's  gratitude  find  vent 
through  the  Intelligencer  and  Union. 

You  are  tired  hearing  of  Montalembert,  are  you  not? 
Well,  this  is  "positively  for  the  last  time."  He  is  par- 
doned again,  nett  and  comprehensively,  without  a  witti- 
cism, and  even  his  companion  in  oftence,  the  straw  pub- 
lisher of  the  Correspondant  shares  the  Imperial  quotation 
of  Uncle  Toby's  address  to  the  fly  —  "there,  go:  room 
enough  in  the  world  for  both  of  us  !" 

As  the  result  of  the  bold  speeches  made  by  Dufaure  and 
Berryer  on  this  trial,  I  think  the  press  in  Paris  appears 
disposed  to  resume  a  little  more  liberty.  It  is  plausibly 
argued  that  the  prevailing  silence  fosters  secret  disaflfec- 
tion,  and  that  the  dynasty  founded  on  universal  sufiVage 
and  aiming  at  universal  good,  must  be  invigorated  by  a 
certain  legally  limited  freedom  of  discussion.  Fortunatel}' 
for  the  world,  despotism  cannot  be  rational. 

I  suppose  you  have  noticed  the  admirable  example  set 
by  the  Servians,  how  to  eifect  a  revolution  promptly, 
quietly,  and  without  shedding  a  drop  of  blood.  Almost 
as  smooth  a  process  as  our  State-constitution-making. 
The  people  of  Servia  discovered  their  Prince  Alexander 
to  be  no 'better  than  he  should  be: — they  invited  an  ex- 
traordinary session  of  an  old  body  called  the  Shupkina 
(something  analogous  to  the  French  States-General),  and 
when  this  assembly  met,  it  composedly  adopted  a  resolu- 
tion deposing  Alexander,  who  took  sanctuary  in  a  Turkish 
garrison,  and  recalling,  as  purified  by  adversity,  their  for- 
mer Prince  Milosch.  The  scale  is  small,  but  the  fact  as 
a  movement  of  popular  self-government  is  immense:  and 
how  it  will  be  regarded  by  the  adjacent  neighbors,  Aus- 
tria, Russia,  and  Turkey,  is  an  interesting  question. 

Annexation  of  contiguities  is  an  impulse  of  govern- 
ments at  once  instinctive  and  irresistible.  All  past  na- 
tions have  exhibited  the  disease  in  its  natural  form,  and 
all  existing  ones  are  constantly  breaking  out  with  it. 
Here  now  is  Greece,  little,  delicate,  infantine  Greece, 
eager  to  embrace  and  absorb  Corfu,  Kefalonia,  Zante,  and 
the  others  of  the  seven  Ionian  Islands !  No  child  ever  had 
the  measles  more  virulently.  Mr.  Gladstone  finds  a  sym- 
pathizing disorder  impetuously  proclaiming  itself  among 


TO  MR.  PIERCE.  77 

the  islanders  wherever  he  goes.  What's  to  be  done?  The 
Colonial  minister,  Bulwer  Lytton,  seems,  by  a  very  neat 
despatch,  recently  written  to  Lord  High  Commissioner 
Young,  disposed  to  treat  the  case  as  the  old  physicians 
treated  the  small-pox,  by  fastening  down  the  window 
sash,  excluding  the  air,  locking  the  door,  throwing  the 
key  away,  and  preventing  all  spread  of  the  malady  by  de- 
claring intercourse  impossible  !  This  won't  do.  Sir  Ed- 
ward !  You  have,  bj^  sending  the  Homeric  statesman  on 
his  mission,  created  the  occasion  for  a  full  and  frank  inter- 
change of  sentiment,  and  must  not  now  turn  a  deaf  ear  to 
unanimous  utterances.  Parliament  will  no  doubt,  as  soon 
as  it  meets,  be  exercised  upon  this  topic.  The  Manches- 
ter men  are  in  favor  of  letting  people  whom  they  do  not 
regard  as  fellow-subjects  manage  their  own  destijiies  as 
they  like  best. 

Although  I  am  before  an  8  or  10  feet  wide  window, 
extending  to  the  ceiling,  I  have  not  been  able,  from  11 
o'clock  in  the  day,  to  write  this  letter  without  the  aid  of 
two  candles.  Such  has  been  the  wretched,  smoky,  foggy, 
dirty,  rainy  atmosphere  for  the  greater  part  of  six  or  eight 
weeks!  One  comfort: — my  daughter  reports  Paris  to  be 
quite  as  bad,  if  not  worse. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  236 -TO  ME.  PIERCE. 

London,  January  2,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  15th  ultimo  reached 
me  some  days  ago,  and  communicated  so  much  pleasure 
that  I  have  chafed  a  good  deal  under  the  pressure  of  en- 
gagements which  prevented  an  immediate  reply.  It  was 
warmly  welcomed  because  in  the  first  place  it  assured  me 
of  the  well-being  of  Mrs.  Pierce  and  yourself,  and,  in  the 
second  place,  it  flattered  me  with  the  intimation  that  my 
course  of  action  in  this  arduous  diplomatic  post  had  not 
disappointed  the  expectations  of  the  gentleman  who  sent 
me  to  it.     Many,  many  thanks  for  the  kindness. 

What  you  have  noticed  in  the  newspapers  about  me  has, 
.  as  far  as  I  myself  know,  no  foundation  whatever.     I  have 


78  TO  MR.  PIERCE. 

not  invited  a  recall,  and  do  not  believe  one  to  be  contem- 
plated. At  this  particular  moment,  the  step  would  be  an 
unwise  one,  and  would  be  so  until  the  Central  American 
complications  are  definitively  unravelled  and  settled.  The 
period  for  their  adjustment  is  not  far  ofl".  On  purely  pub- 
lic considerations,  there  should  be  no  change  in  this  mis- 
sion 2'>^ndente  lite.  As  to  private  considerations,  I  confess 
myself  agreeably  disappointed  by  the  hospitality  and  re- 
spect which  have  invariably  been  she^yn  me: — but  my 
anglomania  is  not  sufficiently  intense  and  concentrated 
to  survive  three  years'  close  observation  of  the  mediaeval 
barbarism  of  caste  by  which  the  social  intercourse  of  this 
country  is  broadly  and  painfully  marked.  Democracy  is 
less  at  ease  in  England  than  in  Imperial  France  or  Russia. 

How  I  should  have  enjoyed  being  with  you  at  Capri! 
In  the  course  of  my  life  I  have  made  several  desperate 
efforts  to  get  to  Italy : — one,  forty- four  years  ago,  at  Ghent, 
trunk  packed,  and  bills  of  exchange  ready,  when  the  veto 
of  Mr.  Gallatin  interposed,  and  whisked  me  off  to  Mr. 
Madison.  By-the-by,  Miss  Julia  Kavanagh,  in  a  course 
of  volumes,  has  given  us  her  "  summer  and  winter  in  the 
two  Sicilies"  so  agreeably  that  I  commend  it  to  Mrs.  P. 
while  she  is  yet  in  the  scenes  described. 

The  Persia,  which  arrived  yesterday,  brought  nothing 
worth  telling  from  home.  A  sharp  letter  of  5lr.  Slidell's 
published  on  Judge  Douglas.  A  fight  on  the  Avenue 
between  two  members  of  Congress,  Messrs.  English  and 
Montgomery.  Governor  Wise  nominated  for  1860  by 
the  Richmond  Enquirer.  A  message  from  the  Governor 
of  South  Carolina  recommending  the  dissolution  of  the 
Union  and  the  creation  of  a  Southern  Confederacy. 
Lord  Napier's  recall  universally  regretted.  Public  sen- 
timent, recently  much  excited  by  British  folly  at  San 
Juan,  has  swung  to  the  opposite  extreme  and  represents 
everything  to  be  settled. 

Mrs.  D.  sends  her  best  regards  to  Mrs.  P.,  as  we  all  do 
en  masse. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  MARKOE.  79 


No.  237 -TO  ME.  MARKOE. 

London,  January  9,  1859. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Your  last  letter  springs  from  too 
solicitous  a  friendship  and  shews  me  that  you  are  greatly 
more  anxious  about  this  mission  than  I  can  bring  myself 
to  be. 

It  is  about  eighteen  months  since  I  wrote  to  General 

in  reply  to  a  kindly  meant  intervention  on  his  part, 

and  explained  the  principle  of  public  action  on  which  alone 
the  President  would  probably  act,  and  on  which  alone  I 
could  consent  to  accept  or  retain  any  foreign  appointment 
whatever.  That  letter  w^as,  with  more  than  my  usual 
caution,  enclosed  to  you  unsealed,  and,  if  it  obtained  the 
sanction  of  your  friendship,  it  was  to  go  to  the  General, 
and  from  him  to  Mr.  Buchanan  as  I  did  not  doubt.  You 
approved,  and  it  went  on  its  way.  I  believe  its  contents 
gave  no  dissatisfaction  to  the  President: — indeed,  they 
were  such  as  could  not  be  a  cause  of  difference  between 
men  of  just  and  honorable  sentiments.  "Well,  that  letter 
marked  out  my  permanent  attitude  as  respects  this  post, 
and  I  am  without  any  new  motive  or  reason  for  changing 
it  in  the  slightest  particular.  I  cannot  perceive  that  what 
I  have  been  doing  for  nearly  three  years  has  suddenly  be- 
come wrong: — and  unless  that  were  to  stare  me  in  the 
face,  why  am  I  virtually  to  admit  my  error  ? 

It  is  wished  that  I  should  write  letters  to  the  President 
himself  and  so  avoid  a  threatened  storm.  Perhaps  I  write 
oftener  than  any  minister  ever  did: — what  I  write  goes  to 
the  President,  but  it  is  addressed  to  the  Secretary  of  State, 
because  it  would  really  be  intrusive  in  me,  considered 
persoualh'  or  ofBcially,  to  be  perpetually  courting  the  eye 
of  the  Executive  with  matters  which,  though  interesting 
or  entertaining,  are  more  private  than  public.  I  do  not 
believe  that  Mr.  Buchanan  can  view  this  in  a  different 
light.  He  is  too  much  a  man  of  the  world  not  to  see  that 
ni}'  notes  to  General  Cass,  on  the  topics  they  contain,  are 
really  as  open  to  him,  and  indeed  his  whole  cabinet,  as  to 
the  Secretary.  Their  shape  only  saves  them  from  the 
wretched  fate  of  public  despatches,  I  wrote  to  General 
Pierce  but  once,  as  he  was  on  the  eve  of  quitting  Wash- 
ington. 


80  TO  MR.  MARKOE. 

As  to  the  prospective  storm,  so  like  a  tempest  in  a  tea- 
pot, I  cannot  see  whence,  where,  how,  or  why  it  is  to 
i)low: — but  if  it  rage  fiercely  enough  to  tumble  the  Capitol 
into  Goose  Creek,  I  would  not  stir  one  inch  to  avert  or 
allay  it.  Precedents  are  as  plentiful  as  blackberries :  and 
the  minister  has  clearly  the  right  to  make  what  arrange- 
ments with  the  government  he  deems  will  best  secure  the 
character,  dignitj^  and  interests  of  the  station  he  is  about 
holding  which  that  government  approves.  My  notions 
upon  the  subject  are  the  results  of  experience  and  obser- 
vation. When  I  went  to  Russia  in  '37,  Mr.  Van  Buren 
invited  me  to  take  as  secretary  a  gentleman  unknown  to 
me  except  as  unreliable,  and  I  declined.  Every  one  of 
our  legations  furnishes,  almost  annually,  proofs  how  far  ill- 
assorted  public  agents  disturb  their  business,  depreciate 
their  character,  and  torture  their  incumbents.  These 
things  have  to  be  encountered  by  many,  but  when  it  is 
possible  to  avoid  them  it  is  wise  to  do  so. 

Everybody  knows  that  nothing  is  so  easily  found,  when 
wanted,  as  a  pretext.  If  one  thing  don't  answer,  another 
will.  Now,  if  there  be  a  disposition  to  assail — of  which 
it  is  naked  justice  to  say  I  have  seen  no  proof  whatever — 
how  practically  absurd  it  would  be  to  expect  to  sweeten 
that  disposition,  or  foil  it,  by  disingenuous  and  altered 
action !  Even  in  the  light  of  personal  policy,  every  man 
only  lays  Ifimself  more  open  to  attack  by  abandoning  the 
position  he  deliberately  and  openly  took  at  the  outset. 
Having  taken  a  stand,  unless  convinced  that  it  is  wrong, 
he  had  better  accept  firmly  all  its  consequences. 

I  should  not  write  thus  to  anybody  else.  You  have  a 
right  to  my  inmost  thoughts.  And  though  I  cannot 
adopt  the  course  of  action  you  recommend,  I  am  pro- 
foundly convinced  that  it  has  sprung  out  of  a  friendship 
I  am  proud  to  have  kindled  and  to  reciprocate. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS,  81 


No.  238.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  January  14,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  signs  of  war  accumulate.  Since 
the  oracular  words  to  Baron  Hiibner  on  New- Year's  day, 
every  sort  of  soothing  and  explanatory  construction  has 
been  attempted  in  the  Paris  newspapers  to  no  purpose.* 
The  Bulls  and  Bears  are  convinced,  and  funds  are  stead- 
ily going  down.  Austria  has  hurried  into  Lombardy  thirty 
thousand  additional  men.  The  address  of  the  Sardinian 
King  to  the  legislature,  just  assembled,  was  clearly  mar- 
tial, and  drew  forth  loud  manifestations  of  popular  adhe- 
sion. But  it  is  in  the  arranged  marriage  that  veteran 
politicians  see  conclusive  proof.  Victor  Emmanuel,  though 
ranking  among  young  sovereigns,  is  in  his  thirty-ninth 
year  of  age  and  has  a  daughter,  Clothilde,  of  attractive 
sixteen,  whom  he  gives  to  Prince  N"apoleon.  Their  engage- 
ment is  publicly  announced.  The  Prince,  only  two  years 
younger  than  his  father-in-law,  quits  Paris  to-morrow  for 
Turin,  to  spend  a  week  in  courtship  of  his  girl-bride. 
This  is  admirable  preparation  for  a  Bonapartean  king- 
dom of  Savoy. 

Two  or  three  other  war-pointing  straws  are  in  the  wind. 
Baron  Hiibner  is  reported,  prematurely  I  suspect,  to  have 
suddenly  left  the  French  capital  for  Vienna.  The  French 
marshals  and  generals,  absent  from  their  respective  posts, 
are  ordered  to  return  to  them.  And  the  Austrian  vessels 
of  war  in  the  Adriatic  are  exhibiting  more  than  custom- 
ary uneasiness  and  activity.  I  have  thus,  I  believe,  like  a 
faithful  Pliny,  given  you  the  leading  premonitory  symp- 
toms of  the  approaching  eruption. 


*  Diary  :  January  8d,  1859,  Monday. — ''  The  first  flash  of  lightning 
procursive  of  the  storm  has  startled  everybodv.  The  French  Emperor 
at  his  Levee  held  on  the  1st  instant,  Saturday,  addressed  the  following 
words  to  Baron  Hiibner,  the  Austrian  minister,  with  marked  excite- 
ment and  emphasis : — '  Je  regrette  que  nos  relations  avec  voire  Gouverne- 
ment  ne  soient  pas  aussi  bonnes  que  par  le  passe : — tnaisje  vous  prie  de  dire  a 
VErnpereitr  que  nies  sentlniens  per son7iels  pour  lui  lie  sont  pas  changes.' 
Marshal  Yaillant,  who  was  by,  followed  it  up  by  adding  to  the  minis- 
ter :  'After  that,  I  suppose  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  shake  hands  with  you.' 
This  sudden  revelation  of  the  purpose  us  to  Italy  is  a  striking  imitation 
of  the  conduct  of  Napoleon  I.  towards  the  British  ambassador.  Lord 
Whitworth,  preparatory  to  the  rupture  of  the  Treaty  of  Amiens.  To  be 
sure,  there  is  moi-e  graciousness,  less  downright  insult  in  it.'' 
VOL.  II. — 6 


82  TO  MR.  CASS. 

It  may  be  doubted  wbether  our  great  and  good  friend  the 
Czar  will  iind  it  quite  convenient  to  pay  his  promised  visits 
in  Ma}^  next  to  Paris  and  thence  through  Cherbourg,  to  Lon- 
don, I  ventured,  from  my  remembrance  of  what  his  sterner 
father  experienced,  to  predict,  in  the  course  of  a  letter  to 
you  a  year  ago,  that  his  ardor *for  serf-enfranciiisement 
would  receive  a  check  from  his  nobles  and  might  disturb 
the  Empire.  Well !  the  committee  to  whom  the  matter  has 
been  entrusted,  and  who  manifested  great  zeal,  have  sud- 
denly insisted  that  the  reform  shall  not  stop  half  way,  that 
it  must  be  extended  to  other  classes  besides  the  serfs,  and 
(tell  it  not  in  Glath !)  that  the  States  General  should  be  con- 
voked !  Of  course  Imperial  indignation  will  be  roused  : — 
but  what  can  be  done?  His  Majesty  set  the  ball  rolling, 
and  these  really  revolutionary  ideas  emanate  from  the 
very  Council  charged  to  keep  it  rolling.  There  is  some- 
thing in  reform  like  the  electrical  fluid : — generate  it  once 
and  it  will  run  to  the  end  of  the  wire.  In  England,  long 
training  has  taught  how  to  effect  it  "bit  by  bit:" — but  in 
Russia  the  spirit  is  a  novelty — how  to  fetter  or  graduate 
it  unknown.  ^ 

The  heir  apparent  to  the  Protestant  British  Crown  is 
oft'  to  Rome.  His  visit,  though  the  result  of  natural  and 
laudable  curiosity,  is  not  the  most  prudent  or  wise  thing 
that  could  be  done.  The  press  has  already  regarded  it 
with  jealousy.  "ISTo  Popery"  is  a  chord  which  is  made 
to  vibrate  in  England  just  now  with  the  slightest  touch. 
He  may  not  be  converted: — but,  if  he  ever  reign,  he 
will  be  taunted,  by  one  party  or  the  other,  with  the  taint 
of  the  Vatican.  In  France,  an  ultramontane  journal  has 
already  interpreted  this  tour  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  to 
mean  such  an  approach  to  Roman  Catholicism  as  is  in- 
volved in  the  alleged  Puseyism  of  Queen  Victoria !  The 
age  (17)  and  character  of  the  lad  invest  his  course  of  travel 
with  other  aspects  of  hazard. 

Two  days  ago,  the  3d  of  February,  was  fixed  upon  for 
the  meeting  of  Parliament.  Her  Majesty's  Proclamation 
appeared  and  the  farther  prorogation  to  that  day,  and 
then  for  the  despatch  of  business  took  place.  All  the 
ministers  are  now  at  their  posts  in  London.  Their  scheme 
of  electoral  representation,  though  avowedly  on  the  anvil, 
has  been  kept  profoundly  secret.  Although  there  are 
several  other  important  topics  on  which,  during  the  recess, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  83 

they  have  laid  themselves  open  to  serious  interpellations, 
this  of  Reform,  notwithstanding  the  atiected  disdain  of 
"John  Bright,"  is  the  impracticable  maelstrom  which 
endangers  their  safety. 

Always  faithfull}^  yrs. 


No.  239.-T0  MR.  KNOTT. 

The  Minister  of  the  United  States  has  received  the  note 
of  the  18th  inst.  addressed  to  him  by  Mr.  S.  Dyer  Knott 
from  "Alphington,  Devon,"  requesting  an  autograph. 

JS'ow,  '•'■Alphington.,  Devon,"  are  words  singularly  persua- 
sive with  the  minister,  who  yet  hopes  to  secure  before  he 
recrosses  the  Atlantic,  a  daguerreotype  sketch  of  the 
Church  of  that  Parish. 

Let  there  be,  then,  a  Yankee  bargain. 

The  minister  will  send  his  autograph  with  pleasure  to 
Mr.  Knott,  if  Mr.  Knott  will  kindly  procure  and  send  to 
the  minister  a  mem.  from  the  proper  functionary  of  the 
entry  in  the  Register  or  Record  of  the  Church  at  '■^Al- 
phingion,  Devon.! ^  of  the  declaration  of  Banns  and  the 
marriage  of  '•^Alexander  James  Dallas  and  Arabella  Muda 
Smith,"  who  became  husband  and  wife  in  that  Church 
about  1780  or  1781,  and  who,  subsequently  emigrating  to 
America,  in  the  course  of  ten  years  summoned  the  min- 
ister into  being. 

Such  a  mem.  with  a  a  note  of  whatever  fee  should  be 
remitted  the  functionarj^  wull,  on  being  received,  be  in- 
stantly followed  by  the  transmission  to  Mr.  Knott  of  the 
minister's  thanks  and  autograph. 

Is  it  a  bargain  ? 

Legation  of  the  Ukited  States,  \ 
LoNDOif,  January  19,  1859.        / 


No.  240.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  January  21,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  tried,  during  the  last  week,  for 
your  benefit,  to  form  a  judgment  on  the  probabilities  of 


84  TO  MR.  CASS. 

war.  It  is  no  easy  thing  to  do  so.  Opposite  views,  hopes, 
and  interests  are  in  loud  and  indefatigable  conflict.  Facts 
are  invented  or  exaggerated  every  day  on  one  side  or  the 
other.  Schemes  to  hft  or  lower  the  rates  on  the  Parisian 
Bourse  are  hourly  creating  panics  or  composure,  both 
alike  treacherous.  Immense  efforts  have  clearly  for  their 
sole  object  to  arrest  or  mitigate  the  effect,  upon  property 
and  prices,  of  Napoleon's  sudden  revelation  of  '^  the  situa- 
tion'' on  New- Year's  day.  It  is  impossible  to  deduce  any- 
thing satisfactory  from  this  boisterous  chaos  of  statements 
and  denials.  There  is  no  safety  for  opinion  in  attempting 
to  discriminate  between  them.  What,  then,  is  there  no 
clue  to  the  labyrinth?  None,  except  to  set  aside  all  the 
contradictory  clamors  and  pretences  of  the  last  three 
weeks,  and  coolly  weigh  the  import  of  the  admitted  in- 
ternational incidents  bearing  on  the  question.  1.  The 
foregone  conclusion  in  the  Imperial  mind  of  France  as 
uttered  to  Baron  Hiibner.  2.  The  rapid  concentration  of 
Austrian  forces  in  Italy.  3.  The  explosive  disaffection  of 
all  that  part  of  Italy.  4.  The  vigorous  speecli  of  Victor 
Emmanuel  and  the  enthusiastic  echo  it  evoked  from  the 
Sardinian  legislature.  5.  Ttie  nuptials  which  unite  the 
destinies  of  the  two  dynasties,  Bonapartist  and  Piedmont. 
6.  The  military  vis  a  tergo  to  which  Louis  Napoleon  is 
subject.  7.  The  ambitious  entrainement  of  both  sover- 
eigns. 8.  The  vast  armies  and  wounded  pride  of  Austria. 
9,  The  death  of  Ferdinand  II.  (Bomba)  just  announced. 
He  was  49  years  of  age.  His  successor,  Francis,  Duke  of 
Calabria,  is  23,  and  married  but  recently  a  German  prin- 
cess, though  it  must  be  remembered  that  his  mother  was 
an  aunt,  and  that  he  himself  is  therefore  a  cousin,  of  Vic- 
tor Emmanuel. 

War  may  be  averted.     The  moneyed  power  of  Europe 
may  keep  it  off".     But  the  advancing  apparition  is  obvious  ^ 
to  sight,  like  a  comet  "shaking  its  liery  tresses  in  the 
air." 

The  last  number  (January,  '59)  of  the  Edinburgh  Re- 
view, just  distributed,  has  come  in  aid  of  the  Parliament- 
ary Reformers,  in  a  short  but  effective  article.  Its  incul- 
cation is  an  adherence  to  the  principle  of  the  Act  of 
1832,  with  such  practical  extensions  "as  the  great  inno- 
vator Time"  calls  for:  and,  asserting  every  free  govern- 
ment to  be  founded  on  a  system  of  compromises,  it  insists 


TO  MR.  KNOTT.  85 

upon  a  plan  which  shall  duly  combine  numbers,  property, 
intelligence,  and  locality.  Its  language  is  moderate  and 
persuasive: — and  I  think  it  may  be  regarded  as  fore- 
shadowing what  will  be  realized. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


Uo.  241 -TO  MR.  KNOTT. 

London,  January  26,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  have  executed  your  part  of  the 
proposed  fanciful  bargain  so  promptly  and  so  kindly  that 
I  feel  ashamed  of  the  little  to  be  done  on  my  side.  Some- 
thing more  than  a  humble  autograph  must  prove  how 
much  pleasure  you  have  given.  I  propose,  as  soon  as  I 
can  command  the  time,  to  tell  you  briefly  the  brilliant 
career  run,  in  the  new  world,  by  the  disobedient  couple  who, 
at  the  ages  of  21  and  16,  fled  from  the  house  of  an  aunt 
named  Barlow,  at  Devonport,  and  were  married  in  Al- 
phington  Church  on  the  4th  of  September,  1780 

I  must  beg  you  not  to  place  me  under  any  heavier  obli- 
gation by  taking  the  trouble  to  search  for  and  send  me  a 
sketch  of  the  Church.  An  engagement  with  an  admira- 
ble artist  was  entered  into  some  two  years  ago : — he  under- 
took to  accompany  me,  with  his  instruments,  into  Devon, 
at  a  moment's  warning,  and  give  me  a  perfect  daguerreo- 
type of  a  venerable  building,  which  to  me  has  a  higher 
charm  than  architecture  or  picturesque  position  can  possi- 
bly confer. 

You  are  right  as  to  the  witness,  Charles  Stuart  Dallas: 
— he  was  myfather's  elder  brother:  and  adhering  to  the 
island  of  Jamaica,  accumulated  a  large  fortune  as  a  lawyer. 
His  son  was  recently  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Assembly. 

I  consider  myself  strictly  bound,  independent  of  this 
letter,  to  furnish  for  your  curiosity  album  the  accompany- 
ing detached  and  worthless  signature  of. 
Dear  Sir,  very  sincerely 

Your  obliged  humble  servant. 


86  TO  MR.  SICKLES. 


No.  242.-T0  COL.  MURKAY. 


London,  January  28,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — My  present  object  is  iSpecial  and  urgent. 
I  know  your  energy  and  activity  when  once  under  way  in 
a  good  cause,  and  Iwaut  to  stir  into  immediate  movement 
yourself  and  through  you,  your  Mayor,  Collector,  District 
Attorney,  etc.  etc.  The  King  of  Naples  has  consigned  to 
New  York,  as  a  sort  of  New- Year's  gift,  a  collection  of 
about  200  of  his  political  victims,  among  whom  are  those 
noble  specimens  of  the  genus  homo.,  Poerio  and  Settembrini. 
All  good  men  here  wish  them'  health,  honor,  and  happi- 
ness. Brown,  Shipley  &  Co.,  of  Liverpool,  will  address 
their  branch  in  your  city  most  generously  about  them. 
Bornba  has  sent  them  to  Cadiz,  whence  they  are  to  be 
shipped  in  merchant  vessels.*  They  are  probably  now 
a  third  of  their  way  across  the  Atlantic.  Some  persons 
dread  the  operation  of  a  State  or  municipal  law  which 
would  reject  them  as  convicts- and  paupers  palmed  upon 
your  poorhouses.  Do,  in  the  name  of  all  that  is  just  and 
generous,  prevent  anything  of  the  sort.  Rather  give 
these  inflexible  foes  of  tyranny  the  ovation  they  merit  on 
reaching  our  shores.  I  shall  hide  my  diminished  head  if 
you  act  otherwise. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  243.-T0  ME.  SICKLES. 

London,  January  28,  1859. 

Dear  Sir, — You  will  have  noticed  that  the  King  of 
Naples  has  recently  liberated  some  two  hundred  of  his 
political  prisoners  upon  certain  conditions,  among  others 
exile  in  America.     He  will  suffer  them  no  nearer  than 


*  They  left  Cadiz  on  board  the  American  ship  "  David  Steward,"  Capt. 
Prentiss : — but,  when  at  sea,  combined  to  compel  the  officers  of  the  ves- 
sel to  shape  her  course  for  Ireland  ;  and,  going  into  Cork,  were  received 
with  great  enthusiasm  and  hospitality. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  87 

New  York.  They  were  sent  to  Cadiz,  to  be  thence  for- 
warded on  board  of  one  or  more  merchant  vessels,  and 
are  probably  now  crossing  the  Atlantic.  Among  them  are 
Poerio  and  Settembrini,  who,  the  best  known  and  appre- 
ciated, may  be  regarded  as  types  of  the  entire  company. 

Now  any  man  of  liberal  thought  and  generous  feeling 
must  wish  that  the  sufferings  and  wants  of  these  victims  of 
tyranny  should  be  cared  for  and  lightened  Avherever  they 
go.  Fears  are  entertained  that,  as  destitute  convicts  and 
paupers,  the}^  may  be  repelled  at  New  York  by  some  State 
or  municipal  law  and  thrust  back  into  the  cells  of  Boniba. 
For  God's  sake,  move  heaven  and  earth  to  prevent  the 
possibility  of  an  incident  which,  coming  from  our  coun- 
try, would  require  endless  explanation,  and  would  he  the 
thrust  of  an  icicle  through  the  heart  of  every  friend  to 
constitutional  liberty  in  Europe. 

I  am  very  truly  and  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  244 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  January  28,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — His  Majesty  of  Naples,  though  supposed 
a  sufferer  by  partial  paralysis  (courteously  ycleped  rheu- 
matism), did  not  die,  as  was  somewhat  victoriously  an- 
nounced by  the  Morning  Post.  He  is  recovering  fast ;  and 
let  us  hope  that  his  political  victims,  to  wh*ose  pardon  he 
has  managed  to  give  the  torturing  keenness  of  exile,  may 
yet,  auspice  Najyoleoncino  vel  Maratto.,  find  means  to  confront 
him  somewhere  on  the  plains  of  Italy  : — the  nearer  to  one 
or  the  other  crater  of  Vesuvius  or  Etna,  eager  to  receive 
him,  the  better. 

I  returned  a  call  of  Lord  Lyons  two  days  ago.  A  war 
steamer  takes  him  to  Boston  or  New  York  on  the  15th  of 
February.  I  knew  his  father,  the  Admiral,  and  was  there- 
fore partially  inclined  towards  him.  Perhaps,  he  may 
succeed  in  pleasing  as  well  as  Lord  Napier,  though  the 
latter  has  the  immense  advantage  of  being  charmingly 
married.  A  legation  without  a  lady  is  but  half  com- 
posed : — a  column  sans  capital,  piano  sans  pedal,  coiffure 
sans  curls.     I  suspect  the  ages  of  the  two  lords  are  much 


88  TO  MR.  CASS. 

the   same : — Lyons  is  42.     He  lives  at  ISTorfolk  House, 
whose  Duke  married  his  sister. 

An  official  decree  is  out  in  Paris,  prohibiting  free  negro 
emigration  on  board  French  vessels  from  the  eastern  coast 
of  Africa,  Whether  this  affects  the  existing  contract  of 
Regis  &  Co.  may  be  doubted.  As  far  as  it  goes,  however, 
it  is  a  homage  to  the  British  monomania. 

The  marriage  at  which,  according  to  the  French  phrase,  I 
assisted  jnst  one  year  ago  (25th  January,  '58)  in  St.  James's 
Palace,  was  yesterday  signalized  at  1  p.m.  by  the  produc- 
tion of  an  heir  to  the  Prussian  throne.  The  annunciation 
shot  from  Berlin  to  Windsor  in  six  minutes.  Her  Ma- 
jesty has  become  a  grandmother  while  yet  some  three  or 
four  months  short  of  40. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  245 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  February  4,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Of  course  your  British  legation  were  in 
full  force  representing  you  in  the  House  of  Lords  yester- 
day at  the  opening  of  Parliament  by  the  Queen. 

The  Speech,  though  unusually  long,  was  extremely  cau- 
tious both  in  what  it  said  and  in  what  it  left  unsaid.  In 
referring,  in  the  fourth  clause,  to  the  desire  "to  maintain 
inviolate  the  .faith  of  public  treaties"  and  to  contribute 
"to  the  preservation  of  the  general  peace,"  you  lind  the 
key  to  the  remarkably  bold  and  anti-]^apoleonic  exposi- 
tion of  policy  made  by  Lord  Derby  in  the  evening.  I 
listened  very  attentively  to  the  outspoken  Premier,  and 
was  led  to  the  conclusion,  1.  that  he  was  making  rather  a 
menacing  effort  to  arrest  a  war  which  he  feared  was  im- 
pending: 2.  that  he  chose  an  attitude  of  neutrality,  and 
3.  that  if  obliged  by  events  to  change  that,  he  would  em- 
brace the  Austrian  cause. 

A  telegram  reached  the  Brazilian  minister  yesterday,  to 
the  effect  that  his  sovereign  had  been  invited  to  act  as 
mediator  between  the  United  States  and  Paraguay,  and 
that  his  Imperial  Majesty  had  consented  to  do  so. 

Since  the  1st  of  January,  and  a  fortiori  since  the  mar- 


ro  MR.  CASS.  89 

riage  of  Prince  JSTapoleon  and  Princess  Clothilde,  I  have 
not  been  able  to  doubt  that  hostilities  would  soon,  upon 
some  pretext  or  other,  he  made  to  break  out  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ticino  between  the  confronting  troops  of  Piedmont 
and  Austria.  That  now  is  all  that  is  wanting  to  produce 
a  French  rush  into  Lombardy.  My  opinion  is  confirmed 
by  a  letter  which  has  just  been  received  here  from  Mr. 
Guizot.  Lord  Brougham,  immediately  from  Cannes,  a 
sort  of  observatory  for  Mediterranean  and  Italian  politics, 
told  the  Peers  last  night  that  the  popular  sentiment  was 
altogether  undeniable  and  universal.  It  is  barely  possi- 
ble, nevertheless,  that  the  unanimity  of  Parliament  may 
check  the  impetuosity  of  Victor  Emmanuel  and  Louis 
Napoleon. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  246 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

LoNDOK,  February  11,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  will  perceive  by  the  map  trans- 
mitted how  easy  a  thing  it  is  to  settle  to  one's  mind  a  re- 
construction of  European  nations,  on  paper.  Some  thou- 
sands of  this  document  crossed  the  Channel  three  days  ago, 
copies  of  it  have  been  multiplied  on  this  side,  and  many 
a  startled  and  staring  diplomat  has  had  his  nightmare 
under  the  weight  of  so  fantastic  a  sheet.  Rumor  preluded 
it  as  a  Napoleonic  study  and  cartoon  direct  from  the  Im- 
perial press.  Farther  scrutiny  seems  to  ascribe  the  in- 
vention to  a  Belgian  priest.  Tiien,  again,  it  is  thought  to 
be  a  monster  device  which,  by  the  argument  of  contrast, 
may  make  the  mere  expulsion  of  Austria  from  Italy  seem 
a  small  affair. 

Since  my  last  week's  note,  two  very  strong  shadows  of 
the  coming  event  have  been  thrown  on  the  dial  of  time  : 
a  pamphlet*  plainly  if  not  avowedly  Bonapartean,  entitled 


*  Diary:  February  5,  1859,  Saturday. — "A  tremendous  Pamphlet  just 
out  in  Paris.  It  is  obviously  the  offspring  of  Imperial  'inspiration.' 
Nothing  could  be  more  like  ^  Lea  Idees  Napoleoniennes.'  Its  title  is 
'  Napoleon  III.  et  I'ltalie.'    It  inculcates  with  remarkable  power  and  dis- 


90  TO  MR.  CASS. 

"Napoleon  III.  et  I'ltalie,"  and  a  speech  from  the  throne 
to  the  French  Chambers  : — both,  in  my  judgment,  power- 
ful yet  guarded  expressions  of  an  unalterable  purpose. 
The  pamphlet  is  a  manifesto  and  appeal  really  unanswer- 
able, or  answerable  only  by  the  charge  of  ambitious  mo- 
tives:— the  speechis  assailable  and  assailed,  merely  because 
it  forbore  to  repeat  from  the  Queen's  address  to  Parliament 
the  inviolable  character  of  the  Treaties  of  1815 — those 
monuments  of  the  overthrow  of  "  My  Uncle" !  Austria 
may  be  expected  to  circulate  her  reply  through  diplomatic 
channels: — audi  alteram  partem ! — but  the  controversy  ad- 
vances and  embitters. 

To  these  ind,ications  must  be  added  the  return  of  bodies 
of  troops  from  Algeria  to  Marseilles,  the  storing  of  fabu- 
lous amounts  of  ammunition,  the  gradual  adoption  of  a 
warlike  tone  by  the  Parisian  press,  the  fifty  million  loan 
voted  by  the  legislative  chamber  of  Sardinia  in  a  paroxysm 
of  anti- Austrian  ardor,  and,  last  not  least,  the  very  decided 
written  and  oral  utterances  of  Count  Cavour,  whose  posi- 
tion as  a  wise,  virtuous,  patriotic,  and  skilful  statesman 
is  overtopped  by  no  one  in  Europe. 

But  what's  the  prevailing  opinion  ?  Some  wish  peace 
to  continue,  and  that  wish  is  father  to  their  judgment. 
Others  deem  it  a  duty  to  humanity  to  clamor  down  war. 
Many  of  the  best  thinkers  are  mystified  by  conflicting 
representations,  and  incapable  of  forming  a  conclusion  or 
even  a  firm  guess.  I  have  recently  and  most  industriously 
attended  the  soirees,  to  deduce  from  their  chatting  coteries, 
for  your  enlightenment,  the  general  impression.  Well ! 
— at  the  Marquess  of  Salisbury's,  at  Lord  Palmerston's,  at 
Lord  Derby's,  and  particularly  at  the  Prussian  minister's 
last  night,  the  current  of  opinion  ran  war,  not  immediate, 
but  inevitable  war.  Her  Majesty's  cousin,  the  Conmiander- 
in-chief,  personally  intimate  with  the  Imperial  character, 
disclaims  emphatically  any  doubt  about  it. 

Do  you  notice  how  amusingly  the  Union-loving  senti- 


tinctness  the  necessity  of  preserving  the  peace  of  Europe  by  insisting 
diplomatically  and  if  need  be  militarily  upon  the  withdrawal  of  Austria 
from  Lombardy,  and  the  construction  of  an  Italian  Confederation  of 
Nationalities.  It  opens  by  a  distinct  declaration  of  aversion  to  the  Trea- 
ties of  1815: — no  wonder,  for  they  are  the  monuments  of  the  degrada-- 
tion  of  France  and  the  Bonapartes  by  the  Holy  Alliance.  This  splendid 
manifesto  is  clearly  meant  as  a  semi-official  preface  to  a  great  drama." 


TO  MR.   WINTER  OP.  91 

mentof  the  Principalities  has  flouted  the  iDJuuctioii  of  the 
Congress  of  Paris  in  1856?  It  was  formally  decided  by 
thataugust  body  that  they  should  live  separate  and  apart, 
and  each  havehei'  independent  Hospodar.  The  elections 
coming  on,  Moldavia  chose  for  her  chief  Prince  Couza, 
and  Wallachia  ran  after  and  chose  the  very  same  man  for 
herself,  thus  concentrating  in  one  personage  the  executive 
authorities  of  both  states!  There's  a  complication  tor 
you  !  The  Sultan  is  said  to  be  enraged: — he  can,  how- 
ever, like  Austria  in  reference  to  the  revolution  in  Servia, 
do  nothing  alone  beyond  a  protest:  he  must  await  the  re- 
assembling of  the  Conference,  an  event  whose  non-concur- 
rence is  among  the  possibilities  on  the  cards. 

I  will  not  release  you  from;this  note  until  I  apprise  you 
that  my  admirable  and  able  friend  Mr.  Richard  Cobden 
will  go  by  the  same  steamer,  Canada,  to  the  United  States. 
He  has  just  called  and  bade  me  good-bye.  He  will  strive 
to  reach  Washington  before  the  dispersing  day  of  the  4th 
of  March.     Bid  him,  All  Hail ! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  247.-T0  ME.  WINTHEOP. 

London,  February  17,  1859. 

My  dear  Mr.  Winthrop, — Your  letter  in  regard  to  the 
recall  of  Lord  !N"apier  and  the  shameless  explanation  of  it 
attempted  in  the  Boston  paper  by  a  penny-a-liner  corre- 
spondent here,  deserved  a  prompt  acknowledgment.  I 
think  your  appreciation  of  his  lordship  strictly  just.  We 
cannot  hope  to  have  a  more  acceptable  British  minister 
at  Washington.  A  great  mistake  is  involved  in  his  re- 
moval; and  though  his  successor  be  quite  unexception- 
able, the  rdle  he  played  in  cementing  the  kindly  feel- 
ings of  the  two  countries  can  scarcely  be  acted  with  equal 
efficiency  by  any  one  else. 

I  am  not  quite  sure  that  the  ministry  were  insensible 
to  the  motive  imputed  for  the  treatment  of  this  distin- 
guished gentleman.  Some  of  our  travelling  countrymen 
are  inconsiderate  enough  to  bring  abroad  the  party  asper- 
ities they  cultivate  at  home;  and  though  in  the  general 


92  TO  MR.  CASS. 

they  take  nothing  by  doing  so,  or  rather  are  positively 
disrelished  for  their  lack  of  natural  patriotism,  still  oc- 
casionally and  on  particular  points  they  achieve  more 
mischief  to  the  country  than  it  is  easy  to  repair. 

You  do  not,  I  perceive,  shrink  from  the  sarcasm  of 
Carlyle,  who,  in  his  Life  of  Frederick  the  Great,  calls  all 
antiquaries  by  Scott's  descriptive  cognomen,  Dryasdust.  I 
forward  you  a  diploma  sent  to  me  from  Somerset  House. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  248.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

'  London,  February  18,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  unanimity  in  Parliament  on  the 
still  pending  war  question  seems  to  have  a  composing 
efiect  as  to  party  difl'erences.  l^othing  as  yet  has  rut- 
fled  the  smooth  current  of  legislation.  Even  the  Right 
of  Search,  which  gave  Lord  Clarendon  an  opportunity  to 
awaken  a  titter  at  the  expense  of  Lord  Malmesbury, 
passed  off  without  leaving  a  furrow  behind  it.  By-the- 
by,  her  Majesty's  principal  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 
Altairs  said  that  a  series  of  naval  instructions,  as  to  the 
mode  of  verifying  the  flags  of  traders,  had  been  prepared 
by  France  and  England,  and  were  now  under  considera- 
tion at  Washington.  He  anticipates  from  their  adoption 
an  international  millennium.  Pray  suffer  me  to  see  this, 
not  quintuple,  but  tripartite  proposal. 

I  have  a  letter  from  Mr.  Reed,  of  the  10th  ultimo, 
Colombo,  Cejdon.  He  expects  to  leave  Bombay  behind 
him  on  the  25th,  to  be  in  Malta  on  the  14th  February, 
in  Rome  on  1st  March,  and  here  before  April.  I  am  thus 
particular  to  enable  you,  if  occasion  occur,  to  let  Mr. 
Ward  know  how  he  may  run  a  fair  chance  of  meeting 
his  returning  predecessor. 

I  have  no  modifications  to  make  in  the  views  hereto- 
fore expressed  as  to  the  likelihood  of  a  struggle  over  a 
new  map  of  Italy.  Every  well  ascertained  incident  throws 
fresh  light  and  reality  on  the  prospect.  The  Bulls  and 
Bears  are  fertile  in  rumors  to  help  along  their  specu- 
lative objects: — but  the  steady,  calm,  and  vigorous  man- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  93 

ner  in  which  both  the  great  parties  are  taking  what  Mr. 
Madison  called  their  "attitude  and  armor"  permits  one 
conclusion  only.  It  is  barely  possible  that  the  Conference 
about  to  be  held  in  Paris  to  deal  with  the  contempt  com- 
mitted by  Hospodar  Couza — a  sort  of  political  bigamy — 
may  wish  ampUare  jurmlictionem.,  and  to  throw  oil  upon 
the  troubled  waters: — but  the  matter  has  gone  too  far, 
and  backing  down,  even  to  preserve  the  peace  of  Europe, 
is  un-imperial  and  too  shockingly  distasteful. 

The  relations  of  the  mutually  dependent  partners, 
Messrs.  Demand  and  Supply,  are  oddly  illustrated  just 
now.  There's  a  plethora  of  money  everywhere,  and  down 
conies  a  cataract  of  projected  public  loans  !  Mr.  Bates  tells 
me  the  Austrian  proposals  have  failed.  Turkey,  like  a 
Phoenix,  makes  her  own  fire  with  her  own  fuel.  Sardinia 
designs  to  try  the  same  experiment  for  the  fifty  millions  of 
"'lire"  she  wants.  Lord  Stanley  thinks  nothing  of  ask- 
ing from  English  capitalists,  for  his  new  empire  of  India, 
thirty-five  millions  of  dollars. 

The  Court  of  the  "  Parvenu  "  has  signalized  itself  by  the 
introduction  of  a  new  feature  of  etiquette.  At  the  grand 
ball  at  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  two  days  ago,  in  honor  of  the 
recent  marriage,  the  girl-bride,  like  a  "  little  Miss  Creeper 
left  in  the  lurch,"  instead  of  being  handed  into  the 
crowded  salon  by  Prince  Napoleon  her  husband,  was  per- 
mitted to  walk  behind  him !  Magnificent,  cry  all  the 
newspapers ! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  249 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  March  1,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  review  which  Lord  Palmerston  took 
in  his  speech  last  Friday  evening  of  the  causes  and  char- 
acter of  quarrel  just  now  between  France  and  Austria, 
was  marked  by  more  than  his  usual  discretion  and  for- 
bearance. Mr.  Disraeli,  in  making  answer  to  his  en- 
quiries, shewed  equal  sense  of  the  dignity  due  to  the 
occasion : — and  his  announcement  as  to  the  prospect  of 
preserving  peace  was  uncommonly  effective.     But  I  am 


94  TO  MR.  CASS. 

disposed  to  think  that  those  who  heard  him  were  a  little 
misled  by  their  hopes,  and  did  not  notice  the  extremely 
measured  and  cautions  words  (no  doubt  pre-arranged,  for 
they  were  repeated  later  in  the  evening  by  Lord  Malmes- 
bury  in  the  Lords)  which  he  used.  "  Her  Majesty's  gov- 
ernment had  received  communications  from  which  they 
had  reason  to  infer  that  the  two  powers  would  withdraw 
their  respective  armies  from  the  Papal  States  simulta- 
neously, and  upon  the  invitation  of  the  Pope." 
•  A  very  extraordinary  result  is  expected  to  be  achieved 
over  the  cabinet  of  Vienna  by  the  energy,  skill,  and  sup- 
pleness of  Lord  Cowley: — no  less  than  its  acceding,  not- 
withstanding all  its  recent  acts  and  language  to  the 
contrary,  to  the  original  proposal  of  Louis  Napoleon. 
One  is  accustomed  to  predicate  of  Austrian  statesmanship 
nothing  but  pretension  and  obstinacy: — and  the  ministry 
will  be  singularly  lucky  if,  in  the  full  tide  of  these  char- 
acteristic qualities,  they  get  Francis  Joseph  to  "  eat  his 
leek."  They  themselves  entertain  grave  doubts : — for 
Lord  Lyndhurst  told  me  that  when  the  Premier  heard  of 
what  Mr.  Disraeli  had  said  in  the  Commons,  he  remarked 
"  he  has  gone  too  far"!  Such  an  expression  lacks  reli- 
ance on  the  diplomatic  expedient.  Li  Paris,  it  woiild 
seem  to  be  very  little  relied  upon : — indeed,  there  the 
evacuation  of  the  Papal  States  is  but  a  small  part  of  the 
solution  of  the  Italian  question. 

Pray  let  me  ask  you  to  give  consideration  to  the  accom- 
panying copy  of  an  advertisement  which  contains  matter 
of  great  historical  interest  to  our  country.  The  two 
hundred  letters  and  documents  connected  with  the  nego- 
tiation of  what  Mr.  Adams  called  "Our  Treaty  of  Inde- 
pendence," and  the  map  of  the  United  States  traced  by 
Franklin,  ought  certainly  to  be  in  your  department.  I 
can  receive  the  expression  of  the  President's  wishes  upon 
the  subject  before  the  6th  of" April,  the  day  appointed  for 
the  sale. 

I  was  last  evening  seven  continuous  hours  in  the  diplo- 
matic gallery  of  the  House  of  Commons,  listening  to  the 
introduction  of  Lord  Derby's  Reform  bill.  It  is  as  infini- 
tesimal a  dose  as  any  homoeopath  could  administer,  and  is 
essentially  a  mere  sham  of  words.  Lord  John  Russell 
denounced  it  at  once;  Mr.  Bright  termed  it  frivolous, 
trifling,  absurd,  and  disgusting,     Not  a  shadow  of  enfran- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  95 

chisement  extended  to  the  working  classes.  Lord  Pal- 
raerston  and  his  serried  ranks  of  friends  remained  quiet, 
while  the  measure  underwent  violent  castigation  from  the 
ultra  Liberals  and  was  falteringlj  sustained  on  the  Treas- 
ury side.  Mr.  "Walpole,  Home  Secretary,  and  Mr.  Hen- 
ley, President  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  have  resigned  :  Lord 
John  Manners  is  expected  to  follow  suit:  General  Peel  is 
said  to  be  giving  way  for  Lord  Elgin,  and  Sir  E.  B.  Lytton 
for  Gladstone.  On  the  whole,  the  cabinet  seems  sponta- 
neously dissolving. 

Mr.  Ward  and  his  family  have  been  here  for  the  past 
week.  I  have  been  able  to  keep  him  advised  of  Mr. 
Reed's  course  and  progress  homewards.  He  will  meet 
that  gentleman  in  Paris  on  the  15th  instant,  whither  he 
proceeds  to-morrow.  You  have  probably  already  heard 
that  there  has  been  fresh  fighting  near  Canton  between 
the  English  troops  and  Chinese  braves,  as  late  as  the  8th 
of  January.  It  is  said  that  the  Imperial  government 
secretly  disclaim  Lord  E^gin's  Treaty  as  the  work  of  com- 
pulsion. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  250.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  March  4,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Her  Majesty's  government  have  been 
caucusing.  Lord  Derby  invited  two  hundred  and  eight 
of  his  partisans  of  the  House  of  Commons  to  meet  him  at 
the  Treasury  Department  in  Downing  Street  on  Tuesday 
last: — the  gravamen,  the  Reform  bill.  He  plumply  in- 
formed the  assembled  gentlemen  that  every  one  of  them 
must  vote  for  every  part  and  the  entirety  of  the  measure 
unflinchingly:  and  that,  if  it  finally  failed,  he  would  dis- 
solve Parliament.  It  is  customary  to  regard  our  President, 
not  in  the  light  of  the  Sovereign  here,  but  as  a  Prime 
Minister: — now,  what  would  be  thought  of  him  all  over 
the  world,  and  what  would  the  Representatives  say  and 
do,  if  our  Chief  Executive  were  to  take  a  leaf  out  of  Lord 
Derby's  book,  and,  surrounded  by  his  cabinet,  were  to  in- 
doctrinate, menace,  and^ marshal  the  legislative  phalanx? 


96  TO  MR.  CASS. 

« 
I  think  we  should  all  be  long  before  we  heard  the  last  of 
it.  This  jumble  of  separate  and  co-ordinate  powers  is  the 
natural,  if  not  necessary  consequence  of  permitting  minis- 
ters to  hold  seats  in  Parliament: — a  practice  accompanied 
by  certain  administrative  advantages,  though  subversive 
of  fundamental  principle.  Be  this  as  it  may,  Lord  Derby 
had  his  caucus,  and  he  and  they  have  resolved  to  go  it 
blind  for  the  bill,  the  whole  bill,  and  nothing  but  the  bill. 
Now,  I  can't  express  a  confident  opinion  as  to  how  this 
will  end,  and  I  must  tell  you  why.  Lord  Palmerston  is 
at  heart  no  reformer;  he  does  not  wish  to  reattain  power 
upon  that  issue:  and  he  would  probably  be  averse  to 
larger  concessions  of  political  franchise  than  are  made  by 
Mr.  Disraeli.  I  have  observed,  upon  this  topic,  unequiv- 
ocal symptoms  o^  rapprochement  h^tweQu  his  followers  and 
those  of  Lord"  Derby ;  and,  to  defeat  the  ultra  Liberals, 
Bright,  Gibson,  Roebuck,  and  Russell  (!),  they  may  lind 
themselves  on  a  test  vote  in  the  same  lobby.  Generally 
speaking,  it  is  thought  the  bill  cannot  be  saved,  and  that 
a  dissolution  is  unavoidable.  Nous  verrons  on  next^Mon^ 
day  fortnight,  or  shortly  after. 

Plon-Plon,  having  sacriliced  himself  to  the  Imperial 
policy  by  marrying  a  youthful  princess,  swells  with  self- 
importance,  and  takes  airs: — snaps  his  lingers  at  the 
Treaties  of  1815 :  and  snubs  Persigny,  even  in  the  great 
presence  at  the  Tuileries,  and  to  the  well-aflected  amaze-  ^ 
ment  of  the  Court,  by  loudly  telling  him  that,  let  England 
or  all  Europe  say  what  they  please,  the  honor  and  safety 
of  France  demand  and  will  exact  the  independence  and 
nationality  of  Italy. 

Lord  Cowley  is  on  his  return  to  Paris : — but  the  fruits 
of  his  mission  remain  undivulged: — while  ^^ rentes"  are 
sinking  and  armies  concentrating,  the  Kaiser  at  Vienna 
openly  abusing  the  Kaiser  on  the  Seine,  the  Holy  Father 
and  Cardinal  Antonelli  "ungratefully  insulting"  France, 
and  the  remains  of  the  patriot  Dandolo  are  being  b^iried 
at  Milan  in  a  row  ! 

Mr.  Gladstone  is  said  to  be  coming  home  to  fill  the 
Colonial  Office  now  occupied  by  Sir  E.  B.  Lytton.  He  is 
conveniently  at  present  in  Piedmont,  interchanging  views 
with  Count  Cavour. 

I  am  afraid  I  have  overwhelmed  you  lately  with  official 
despatches.     The  constant  effort  is  to  prevent  accumula- 


TO   MRS.  BACHE.  97 

tion  and  to  be  brief.  I  was  told  by  Mr.  P.,  at  Cambridge 
House  last  nigbt,  that,  in  the  Foreign  Office,  Lord  Lyons 
and  Lord  Stratford  de  Redcliffe  were  esteemed  their  ablest 
writers. 

Always  faithfull}'^  yrs. 


Wo.  251 -TO  MKS.  BAOHE. 

London,  March  10,  1859. 

My  dear  Sister, — Julia  has  made  for  you  copies  of  a 
series  of  small  notes  which  have  passed  between  a  gentle- 
man living  at  Alphmgton  and  myself,  the  contents  of  whieli 
will  I  think  interest  and  amuse  you.  The  whole,  except 
the  photograph  of  the  church,  are  enclosed. 

I  meet  at  the  leading  receptions  and  soirees  no  one 
more  punctually  than  Mrs.  Mansfield,  your  Baltimore 
friend  of  early  life.  Her  son  has  been  distinguished  as  a 
general  in  the  Indian  war: — and  she  is  sedulously  engaged 
in  chaperoning  her  grand- daughter,  about  18,  through  the 
mazes  of  a  tirst  season  out. 

All  the  inferior  world  of  Europe  is  waiting  impatiently 
to  know  what  the  two  angry  Emperors  of  France  and 
Austria  are  going  to  do : — to  make  war  or  prolong  peace. 
At  this  moment,  after  much  vaporing  and  bluster,  there 
is  a  lull — inspiring  hope  which  enables  the  stock  exchanges 
of  Paris,  Vienna,  and  London  to  take  a  little  breath.  It 
is  attributed  to  the  supposed  success  of  Lord  Cowley's 
mediatory  mission,  and  it  may  be  dispelled  in  twenty-four 
hours  by  some  fresh  blast.  There  is  obvious  dissension 
in  the  French  cabinet  on  the  point : — Prince  i^apoleon 
though  just  married  upon  the  strength  of  his  belligerent 
inclinations,  resigning  his  ministry  of  Algiers  and  retreat- 
ing before  his  adversaries,  Messrs.  Walewski  and  Fould. 
This  is  likely  to  tell. 

Dallas  has,  I  presume,  recorded  his  annual  victor}-  over 
the  enemies  of  the  Coast  Survey.  You  would  be  sur- 
prised if  told  how  much  anxious  interest  is  expressed  here 
in  his  labors. 

I  am  told  that  your  spirits  are  good,  that  you  do  not 

VOL.  II. — 7 


98  TO  MR.  CASS. 

suffer  pain,  and  that  yon  enjoy  the  presence  of  affectionate 
children  and  friends.     Such  newsMs  comforting. 

Always  your  devoted  brother. 


No  252 -TO  PKOPESSOK  ALEXANDEK. 

London,  March  11,  1859. 

My  dear  Professor, — Thank  you  very  many  times 
for  your  obliging  and  most  agreeable  notes.  ISTothingbut 
positive  lack  of  time  has  prevented  my  writing  in  reply  : — 
and  now,  with  the  Bag  yawning  for  its  food  by  my  side,  I 
must  be  brief. 

If  there  be  such  a  volume  as  the  Parliamentary  Rules  of 
Order  and  Debate,  I  will  procure  and  send  you  a  copy : — 
"  else  wherefore  breathe  I  in  a  Christian  land?"  I'll  catch 
the  Speaker  by  the  button,  or  Lord  John  by  his  keen 
circling  look,  at  the  next  reception,  and  soon  know  the 
truth.     If  it  exist,  consider  it  yours. 

We"  have  reached  a  very  brisk  part  of  the  rampant 
"season,"  and  yet  retain  our  health  and  senses.  Pray 
remember  us  all  most  cordially  to  Mrs.  A. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  253.-TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  March  11, 1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Our  friend  her  Majesty's  principal  Sec- 
retary of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs  has  been  subjected  to  a 
heavy  critical  bombardment,  in  both  parliamentar}'  cham- 
bers, for  what  was  represented  as  his  dulness,  indiffer- 
ence, and  mismanagement  of  the  "  Charles  et  Georges'' 
affair  between  France  and  Portugal.  Lord  John  Russell 
was  extremely  and  unusually  tart.  In  defence,  but  one 
really  good  speech  was  made,  that  by  Cairns,  the  clever 
Solicitor-General.  Had  not  the  prospect  of  expelling  the 
ministry  upon  their  Reform  bill  assumed  an  almost  cer- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  99 

tain  aspect,  I  think  the  Opposition  would  have  rallied  on 
this  iiekl.  and  carried  a  vote  of  censure. 

Lord  Cowley  gets  back  to-day  from  Vienna.  Nothing 
yet  known  as  to  what  he  has  achieved :  and  that  circum- 
stance in  itself  leads  me  to  suspect  that  in  his  main  and 
indispensable  point,  the  abandonment  of  the  special  trea- 
ties, he  returns  as  he  went.  The  government  must  have 
been  apprised  by  the  electric  telegraph  of  any  decidedly 
favorable  concession,  and  would  be  eager  to  tell  it.  Their 
omission  to  do  so,  in  the  existing  tremulous  state  of 
stocks,  would  be  regarded  as  almost  criminal. 

!N^apoleoncino,  alias  Prince  Xapoleon,  alias  Prince  Je- 
rome, alias  Plon-Plon,  has  retreated  before  his  adversaries 
in  council,  "Walewsld  and  Fould,  from  the  ministry  of 
Algeria.  He  is  perhaps  too  impatient  and  impetuous : — 
wanting  at  once  to  give  the  quid  pro  quo  for  his  bride  by 
devotion  to  the  policy  of  Victor  Emmanuel.  To  that  com- 
plexion, postpone  it  as  they  may,  it  will  come  at  last.  A 
sweep  in  the  Imperial  cabinet  is  no  improbable  occurrence 
as  soon  as  the  failure  of  their  agent  Lord  Cowley  is 
ascertained.  It  will  be  the  first  step  in  a  great  European 
war. 

Two  days  ago  the  harbor  of  Cork  was  invaded  by  the 
revolted  Neapolitan  prisoners  whom  the  gracious  Sover- 
eign of  the  Sicilies  had  consigned  to  New  York  on  board 
of  an  American  vessel  !  They  have  been  welcomed  with 
loud  hurras  and  open  arms.  These  victims  of  ro3'al  per- 
jury and  cruelty,  headed  by  Poerio  and  Settembrini,  are 
irreproachable,  talented,  and  upright  men,  whose  presence 
in  London  will  probably  tap  man}'  a  purse  and  spread 
many  a  table. 

It  is  perhaps  incumbent  upon  me,  at  least  thus  inform- 
ally, to  say  that  the  Queen,  at  her  dinner  last  evening, 
very  graciously  enquired  about  the  President  and  Miss 
Lane,  of  whose  health  I  was  fortunately  enabled  by  a  re- 
cent private  letter  to  give  welcome  assurances.  Her 
Majesty  has  really  been  benefited  by  becoming  a  grand- 
mother. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


100  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  254 -TO  SIK  E.   B.  LYTTON. 

London,  March  17,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir  Edward, — Your  note  of  yesterday  reached 
me  late  at  night. 

Our  Senate  is,  in  its  several  aspects,  legislative,  execu- 
tive, and  judicial  When  acting  executively,  it  sits  with 
closed  doors,  deliberates  on  treaties  sent  to  it  for  ratifica- 
tion or  rejection  by  the  President,  and  on  appointments 
to  office.  With  these  functions  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives has  nothing  to  do.  Foreign  affairs  necessarily  en- 
gage the  Senate  largely: — not  merely  the  Committee,  but 
the  body  itself: — the  Committee  is  only  an  agent  to 
examine  closely  and  report  in  detail. 

But  you  are  not  strictly  right  in  saying  that  the  House 
of  Representatives  "does  not  discuss  foreign  affairs." 
There  are  many  cases  in  which  negotiations  with  foreign 
nations  end  in  tariffs,  or  engagements  to  pay  money: — 
these  to  be  carried  out,  require  legislation,  and  so  become 
legitiynately  topics  of  discussion  in  the  House.  And  there 
prevails  a  practice  which  rather  irregularly  and  illegiti- 
wa^e/^  constantly  converts  the  representative  chamber  into 
an  arena  for  discoursing  "c/e  omnibus  rebus  et  quibusdam 
aliis.'"  This  happens  whenever  on  motion  it  resolves 
itself  into  a  "  Committee  of  the  Whole  on  the  State  of  the 
Union:" — the  comprehensive  character  of  which  opens 
every  field  of  debate,  domestic  and  foreign : — practically, 
a  great  safety  valve. 

Faithfully  yrs. 


No.  255.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  March  18,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Among  the  veteran  and  vigilant  states- 
men whom  I  meet  in  clusters  at  social  gatherings  there 
would  seem  to  be  an  almost  unanimous  belief  that  war  is 
inevitable.  To  be  sure,  the  course  taken  by  the  inferior 
sovereignties  of  Germany  has  been  calculated  to  check 
the  impetuous  progress  of  the  French  Emperor,  for  it 


TO  MR.  CASS.  101 

threatens  a  revival  of  the  Coalition  of  1815:  and  we  are 
still  kept  in  the  dark  as  to  what  has  been  effected  by  Lord 
Cowley,  which  may  possibly  transfer  all  difficulties  to  the 
domain  of  diplomacy: — bat,  the  immense  military  pre- 
parations on  both  sides,  and  the  mutually  incriminating 
tone  of  their  state  papers  and  journals,  daily  diminish  the 
probability  of  peace,  I  am  told  that  in  the  commercial 
circles  of  the  City  the  conviction  is  so  strong  that  bets  have 
been  offered  that  the  first  gun  has  been  fired  !  Austria  is 
evidently  greatly  emboldened  by  the  attitude  of  Prussia, 
the  utterances  of  the  German  Confederates,  and  the  inter- 
vention of  this  government.  At  Vienna,  her  inflation  has 
chalked  the  walls  with  the  vowels,  A.  E.  I.  O.  U. — which 
do  plainly  signify  that  "  Austrise  Est  Imperare  Orhi  Uni- 
verso:" — and  smacks  of  the  democratic  arrogance  which 
we  may  remember  adorned  the  fences  and  bricks  of  Wash- 
ington, "54.40  or  fight"! 

To  welcome  and  relieve  the  Neapolitan  prisoners  landed 
at  Queenstown  is  the  order  of  the  day.  Very  imposing 
committees  are  already  formed  and  generous  contributions 
made.  You  are  entitled  to  know  that,  owing  to  some 
letters  written  home,  I  was  wanted  on  the  first  committee 
organized,  but  declined,  pleading  the  restraints  and  re- 
serves attached  to  position.  I  think  I  perceive  that  this 
hospitable  movement  is  very  much,  if  not  exclusively,  in 
the  hands  of  Liberals: — not  unnaturally. 

The  first  prosecution  of  the  members  of  the  "Phoenix 
Society"  in  Ireland  has  failed,  although  pressed  with  abil- 
ity and  energ}^  by  the  Attorney-General,  Whiteside.  The 
jury  disagreed.  It  is  becoming  a  religious  struggle:  and 
apart  from  the  big  words  used  in  the  indictment,  the  acts 
of  the  conspirators  appear  very  frivolous.  A  government 
should  ignore  the  fantasies  and  follies  of  exuberant  youth: 
— 7iec  Deus  intersit  nisi  dignus  vindice  nodus. 

I  am  on  tiptoe  for  the  Cass-Yrissari  and  Ousely  treaties: 
taking  it  for  granted  that  Nicaragua  will  baptize  them  as 
twins  at  or  about  the  same  time. 

Our  winter  has  been  remarkably  mild,  more  so  than 
fifty  years  have  witnessed.  Little  or  no  ice  formed;  and 
fruit  trees  in  full  blossom  three  weeks  ago.  Lord  Eversley 
(the  late  Speaker,  Lefevre)  told  me  that  he  has  covered  his 
trees,  down  in  Hampshire,  with  woollen  netting  to  protect 
them  from  any  possible  return  of  frost. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


102  TO  MR.  KNOTT. 


No.  256 -TO  PKOPES&OR  OWEN. 

London,  March  18,  1859. 

My  dear  Dr.  Owen,—  After  thorough  search,  one 
volume  only  of  Commodore  Perry's  visit  to  Japan  has 
been  found  in  the  legation: — and  that  I  now  send  you. 
Let  me  beg  you  to  retain  it  sine  die.  At  a  future  day  I 
hope  to  be  able  to  send  you  its  mate. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  257.-T0  ME.  KNOTT. 

London,  March  19,  1859. 

Dear  Sir, — I  am  afraid  that  my  tardiness  in  acknowl- 
edging the  great  kindness  of  your  last  letter,  accompanied 
by  a  sketch  of  Alphington  Church,  may  have  lost  me 
some  of  your  good  will.  I  must  throw  myself  upon  your 
indulgence,  simply  assuring  you  that  my  engagements 
have  been  constant  and  monopolizing. 

The  delay  has  relieved  me  of  one  perplexity: — how  to 
fulfil,  without  too  much  intrusion  upon  a  stranger,  the 
promise  respecting  the  career  in  America  of  those  whose 
Banns  were  declared  in  Alphington  in  1780.  Since 
making  the  promise,  I  have  received  a  very  valuable 
work  published  in  my  native  city  of  Philadelphia,  called 
"A  Dictionary  of  British  and  American  Authors:" — and 
herein  I  find  a  short  notice  of  my  father  which  contains 
quite  as  much  as  you  ought  to  be  troubled  with.  So  my 
daughter  has  been  good  enough  to  transcribe  this  article, 
and  I  enclose  it. 

Allow  me  to  repeat  to  you  the  very  grateful  thanks 
with  which  I  shall  always  remember  the  part  you  have 
taken  in  our  correspondence. 

You  enquire  whether  either  of  my  parents  resided  in 
Alphington  when  they  were  married.  I  believe  not. 
My  mother  was  at  the  time  under  the  care  of  an  aunt,  a 
venerable  single  lady  named  Barlow,  wiiose  home  was  in 
Devonport. 

Faithfully  and  respectfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  103 


No.  258.-TO  ME.  OASS. 


London,  March  25,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — We  may  now  safely  conclude,  as  I  for- 
merly surmised,  that  Lord  Cowley's  mission  to  Vienna 
produced — nothing.  So  close,  however,  upon  its  heels 
came  a  proposal  from  the  Russian  Czar  for  a  Congress, 
that  an  undiscriminating  public  has  given  his  lordship 
the  merit  of  that  suggestion.  This  European  Areopagus 
will  be  constituted  of  plenipotentiaries  from  France,  Rus- 
sia, Austria,  England,  and  Prussia;  Count  Cavour  goes 
to  Paris  to  insist  upon  the  presence  of  Piedmont,  and  it 
may  be  that  considering  the  peculiarly  Italian  purpose  of 
the  consultation,  the  minor  States  of  the  peninsula  may 
creep  in.  As  all  such  assemblages  are  designed,  not  so 
much  to  confer  and  discuss,  as  to  give  impetus  and  weight 
to  a  decision  already  reached  by  one  or  more  of  the  cabi- 
nets, I  think  we  shan't  be  wide  of  the  mark  if  we  antici- 
pate that  the  issue  of  a  scheme  of  settlement  devised  at 
St.  Petersburg,  and  instantly  adopted  at  the  Tuileries,  will 
bear  hard  upon  Austria.  Thence  springs  the  question,  will 
it  be  frankly  acquiesced  in? — Assuredly  not:  and  so  no- 
thing will  have  been  gained  by  the  expedient  except  those 
inestimable  matters — time  for  preparation  and  a  tempo- 
rary rise  in  stocks.  We  are  already  told  that  Prince 
Napoleon  is  designed  to  be  the  "  alter  Ego''  of  his  Imperial 
cousin  at  the  Congress.  The  landing  at  Cannes  suddenly 
dispersed  a  body  of  this  sort  in  1815  ;  and,  indeed,  unless 
there  be  great  haste  in  meeting  at  Geneva,  or  Aix-la-Cha- 
pelle,  all  accounts  agree  in  predicting  a  revolutionary 
movement  in  or  near  Rome,  or  a  conflict  on  the  Ticino, 
which  will  sup'ersede  all  deliberation  : — the  decies  repeiita 
story  of  Brennus. 

An  amusing  and  much-laughed-at  instance  of  Lord  M.'s 
propensity  to  indoctrinate  with  simple  and  wholesome 
truths,  took  place  in  the  "  Charles  el  Georges"  case,  when 
he  pinioned  the  veteran  Malakoif  to  his  fauteuil  at  Wind- 
sor Castle,  and  inculcated  "  the  immortal  truth,  that  time 
undermined  prejudices  as  well  as  unveiled  facts." 

You  will  notice  that  last  night's  debate  in  the  House  of 
Commons,  brought  out  through  Mr.  Seymour  Fitzgerald, 


104  TO  MR.  CASS: 

Under  Secretary  of  State,  the  acknowledgment  that  "re- 
presentations had  been  made  by  the  French  government 
respecting  the  conduct  of  her  Majesty's  commander  of  the 
steam  sloop  ^Aledo'  (Hnnt !)  in  boarding  the  Phoenix  while 
the  latter  was  engaged  in  procuring  laborers  (under  the 
system  which  had  been  so  much  discussed)  on  the  west 
coast  of  Africa."  When  the  particulars  of  this  domiciliary 
visit  are  laid  upon  the  table,  they  may  help  Cobb  &  Ellis 
to  form  an  estimate  of  the  real  character  of  the  selfjusti- 
iied  agent  of  maritime  police  who  so  hanxilessl}^  seized, 
carried  off,  and  kept  in  durance  vile,  for  two  days,  their 
dirty  little  "Caroline." 

The  government's  Reform  bill  has  occupied  the  House 
of  Commons  every  day  of  this  week,  except  Wednesday, 
and  many  suppose  the  debate  will  not  close  before  Tues- 
day night  next,  29th  March.  Amid  a  mass  of  "  intolerable 
rubbish,"  there  are  here  and  there  speeches  made  of  real 
powder,  as  well  on  one  side  as  on  the  other.  Bulwer  Lytton, 
the  Colonial  Secretary  and  charming  novelist,  defended 
the  bill  in  a  manner  which  would  have  done  honor  to 
Fox,  Chatham,  Sheridan,  or  Erskine,  in  his  palmiest  day. 
Cairns,  the  Solicitor-General,  was  equally  successful.  Lord 
John  Russell,  whose  motion  aims  to  strike  down  the  bill 
and  the  ministry  too,  has  been  supported  abh^  from  every 
section  of  the  Liberal  party,  and  partially  from  the  Tories. 
Sir  Charles  Wood,  Sidney  Herbert,  Bernal  Osborne,  John 
Bright,  and  Milner  Gibson  have  taken  leading  parts. 
Nobody  doubts  the  result;  except  perhaps  myself.  I 
cannot,  until  he  himself  declares  it,  believe  that  Lord 
Palmerston  and  his  personal  tail  will  contribute  to  what 
cannot,  with  their  assistance,  fail  to  be  the  triumphant 
Premiership  of  Lord  John  Russell.  Lord  Palmerston  was 
to  have  addressed  the  House  last  night,  and,  according  to 
universal  conviction,  in  maintenance  of  the  motion: — he 
will  speak  to-night,  and  let  us  see  whether  he  does  not,  in 
some  way  or  other,  repress  the  expanding  glories  of  his 
rival.  Perhaps,  for  this  purpose,  he  may  dexterously 
yield  to  Mr.  Gladstone,  or  Sir  James  Graham. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  105 


No.  259 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  1,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — In  the  House  of  Comnions,  at  1  o'clock 
this  morning,  the  resolution  of  Lord  John  Russell,  immo- 
lating the  ministerial  Bill  of  Reform,  was  carried  by  a 
majority  of  39  out  of  621  votes.  An  adjournment  took 
place  to  Monday  the  4th  instant,  giving  to  the  cabinet  an 
oppor-tunity  to  determine  on  their  course,  whether  of  a 
new  bill,  a  resignation,  or  a  dissolution  of  Parliament. 
Much  could  be  said  in  favor  of  each  of  these  courses:  but 
my  knowledge  of  Lord  Derby  and  his  colleagues  induces 
rae  to  believe  that  the  last  will  be  preferred.  Certain  formal 
and  indispensable  steps  of  supply  must  be  first  taken,  and 
the  maturing  of  these  may  consume  a  week  or  ten  days. 
It  is  not  impossible  that,  in  the  generous  hour  of  triumph, 
the  opposition  may  allow  to  be  wasted  as  much  time,  I 
think  about  a  fortnight,  as  is  necessary  to  ripen  the  title 
of  Mr.  Disraeli  to  a  pension  of  two  thousand  pounds  an- 
nually for  an  aggregate  service  of  two  years.  It  is  hard 
to  see  such  luscious  fruit  turn  to  ashes  on  the  eve  of  being 
clutched.  The  disinterested  independence  of  Mr.  Wal- 
pole  in  resigning  when  similarly  tempted  to  hold  on,  has, 
however,  been  greatly  eulogized. 

If  a  new  ministry,  who  are  likely  to  compose  it? 
There  is  no  redundant  ability,  experience,  and  influence 
at  command.  As  to  the  Premiership,  the  hostile  attitude 
of  Palmerston  and  Russell  must  embarrass: — for  you  will 
notice  that,  agreeably  to  the  anticipation  with  which  I 
closed  my  letter  of  this  day  last  week,  the  former  of  these 
gentlemen,  while  sustaining  the  motion  of  the  latter,  took 
a  course  to  damage  any  ambitious  hopes  its  author  might 
entertain  very  seriously.  Some  speak  of  Lord  Granville 
as  the  chief  who  could  enlist  both  in  an  administration 
and  bridge  the  gulf  which  divides  them.  Others  think  a 
Russell  Reform  cabinet  ma*y  be  made  stronger  (through 
the  Radicals)  without  than  with  Palmerston.  Sir  James 
Graham  and  Mr.  Milner  Gibson  will  doubtless  be  pro- 
vided with  seats.  On  the  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
Lord  Clarendon  seems  to  have  an  almost  undisputed 
lien: — and  that  is  our  principal  concern. 


106  TO  MR.  CASS. 

1^0  place  yet  definitively  fixed  for  the  proposed  Congress. 
Berlin,  Geneva,  Baden-Baden,  and  Mannheim  have  been 
successively  named.  As  to  its  result,  meet  where  and 
when  it  may,  the  opinion  I  have  heretofore  expressed  re- 
mains unchanged.  Count  Cavour  has  returned  from  a 
victorious  sojourn  at  the  Tnileries  to  Turin,  radiant  with 
smiles: — and  Count  Cavour's  vista  has  no  limit  short  of 
relieving  Italy  of  every  Austrian  foot. 

I  am  afraid  that  these  two  great  topics  have  lost  some 
of  their  interest: — but  until  they  are  on  the  track  of  human 
affairs  in  a  settled  shape,  I  don't  know  how  to  avoid  them. 
So,  be  merciful. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  260.-TO   ME.  CASS. 

London,  April  15,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — A  thin  and  glimmering  ray  of  possible 
peace  has  suddenly  shone  on  the  dark  cloud  of  approach- 
ing war.  My  colleague  and  neighbor,  tbe  Belgian  min- 
ister, regards  it  as  a  rainbow,  precursive  of  a  bright  sky. 
He  may  possibly  be  right: — but  I  cannot  say  that  the  in- 
cident appears  to  me  of  much  importance.  It  is  the  last 
proposal  made  by  Austria : — that  there  shall  be  a  general 
disarmament,  and  the  Italian  question  referred  for  defini- 
tive adjudication  to  the  Congress  at  Baden.  JSTow,  what 
is  this  but  an  affectation  of  fairness? — an  offer  originating 
in  financial  difficulty,  and  which  cannot,  without  self-stul- 
tification, be  accepted  by  the  quarrelling  powers.  Ac- 
cordingly France  replies  at  once,  she  has  not  armed,  and 
cannot  therefore  disarm  : — a  reply  about  as  ingenuous  as 
the  proposal  itself.  Sardinia  declares  she  cannot  safely, 
and  therefore  will  not,  take  a  single  step  backward,  while 
her  enemy  remains  in  Lombardo-Venetia.  The  truth  is, 
it  is  essential  to  both  parties  \o  satisfy  the  opinion  of  Ger- 
many :  and  hence'the  game  of  constantly  recurring  efforts 
to  put  each  other  in  the  wrong.  The  instant  these  efforts 
are  exhausted,  artillery  will  be  heard,*  whether  preceded 
by  a  declaration  or  not.  The  acknowledged  and  extraor- 
dinary popularity  of  Louis  Napoleon,  notwithstanding  all 


TO  MR.  CORYELL.  107 

that  lie  has  been  doing  since  the  1st  of  January  last, 
amply  disproves  the  change  in  the  French  character  which 
it  is  the  fashion  here  to  insist  has  been  effected  by  the  last 
eight  years  of  peace.  They  love  glory,  and  will  follow 
this  Bonaparte  in  pursuit  of  it  just  as  readily  and  heed- 
lessly as  they  did  the  other. 

On  this  absorbing  subject  we  are  promised  by  the  cabi- 
net a  full  development  of  the  course  they  have  taken,  and 
of  the  actual  "situation."  It  was  designed  for  this  even- 
ing, but  was  last  night  postponed  to  Monday  next.  My 
own  impression  is  that  we  shall  be  told  of  the  fiiilure  of 
every  mediating  effort,  and  perhaps  of  an  impending  de- 
claration of  war  by  Austria  against  Piedmont,  which  will 
be  a  "tocsin"  to  France. 

Mr.  Reed  reached  here  the  evening  before  the  last.  He 
must  hav^e  crossed  Senator  Clingraan  on  his  way  to  Paris. 
He  tells  me  Mr.  Mason  has  no  doubt  of  war. 

I  am  quite  sensible  how  much  your  time  must  be  filled 
up  with  more  peremptory  claims,  and  therefore  am  really 
very  grateful  for  your  delightfully  long  note  of  the  18th 
ultimo. 

The  members  of  the  Commons  are  very  generally  off  to 
the  hustings.  It  is  not  easy  to  form  a  House.  The  elec- 
tion will  be  a  spirited  one  : — perhaps  at  some  places  it  may 
be  marked  by  violence.  Mr.  Cobden  is  up  for  Rochdale; 
— his  armor  bo-rne  in  his  absence  by  his  Patroclus,  Mr. 
Bright,  who  has  no  dread  of  his  own  defeat  at  Birming- 
ham. The  dissolution  iinds  little  favor  with  either  party. 
When  coolly  considered  by-and-by,  it  will  be  looked  upon 
as  a  most  unnecessarj'  and  dangerous  departure  from  the 
settled  principles  and  practices  of  this  government: — a 
step,  however,  rather  stimulating  towards  republicaniza- 
tion. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


.    No.  261 -TO  ME.  OOEYELL. 

London,  April  21,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  4th  instant  is  before 
me,  and  I  thank  you  for  its  contents.     It  is  impossible  for 


108  TO  MR.  CORYELL. 

me  to  be  more  active  in  private  correspondence  than  I  am. 
There  are  so  many  subjects  for  official  thought  and  atten- 
tion constantly  arising  that  I  am  obliged  to  rest  satisfied 
with  the  modicum  of  personal  writing  within  my  power. 
I  bombard  General  Cass  by  every  steamer. 

What  a  deplorable  picture  you  draw  of  the  condition  of 
our  good  old  party !  It  must  be  much  worse,  however, 
before  I  can  persuade  myself  to  think  that  there  is  real 
danger.  As  to  my  own  action,  I  have  grown  old  sticking 
inveterately  to  one  groove  of  straight  line  motion,  out  of 
which  I  have  neither  the  wish  nor  the  ability  to  budge. 
My  faith  in  pure  democracy  is  now  exactly  what  it  was 
when  I  embraced  or  inhaled  it  fifty  years  ago.  Perhaps 
this  will  be  esteemed  blind  idolatry.  Be  it  so.  I  steer 
by  an  old  compass  :  and,  sink  or  swim,  amid  shallows, 
rocks,  flats,  or  icebergs,  I'll  keep  on  to  the  last.  When  I 
see  men,  like  fretful  painters,  displeased  with  their  own 
work  and  dashing  their  brushes  in  a  rage  at  the  canvas, 
I  feel  more  pity  than  surprise  at  an  intemperance  which 
visits  the  imperfection  of  a  .slight  part  upon  the  great 
whole  Because  they  can't  make  a  nose  as  straight,  or  an 
eye  as  blue,  as  they  conceive  it  ought  to  be,  they  indig- 
nantly spoil  their  still  beautiful  creation.  None  do  more 
harm  to  fundamentals  than  they  who  are  over-righteous 
and  are  "wise  in  their  own  conceit."  iTou  must  make 
the  application  of  these  "saws :"  for  yoxi  perceive  I  have 
a  latent  reluctance  to  do  so. 

So,  the  delusive  chirrup  with  which  warm-hearted 
friends  are  wont  periodically  to  be  excited  as  with  an  in- 
termittent, has  again,  for  the  fifth  time,  buzzed  in  the 
breeze !  At  this  distance  it  is  quite  inaudible.  The 
speaking-trumpets  of  the  press  communicate  no  sound  of 
the  sort.  The  cars  are  crammed  with  candidates  steam- 
ing to  Charleston.  I'll  accept  cheerfully  any  one  of  them : 
preferring  to  be  sure  a  Southerner,  but  never  discontented 
with  the  best  practicable  result.  When  we  can't  do  the 
best,  let  us  at  least  do  the  best  we  can.  Be  the  candidate 
whom  he  may,  nail  the  flag,  and  never  despair  of  the  Re- 
public !  • 

We  have  not  got  war  yet,  though  I  expect  it  every  day. 
France  and  Austria  have  had  a  protracted  game  of  politi- 
cal chess,  and  I  rather  think  the  former  will  prove  the 
Morphy  of  the  occasion.     The  number  of  men  under  arms 


TO  MR.  CASS.  109 

ill  Europe,  fully  equipped  and  ready  to  give  battle,  may 
be  estimated  at  two  millions  five  hundred  thousand. 
These  are  the  bulwarks  of  despotic  thrones !  Can  we 
wonder  that  thrones  still  stand? 

Remember,  when  you  have  a  chance,  to  give  my  kindest 
regards  to  Mr.  Ingham : — also  Judge  Joel  Jones,  etc. 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  262.-T0  MK.  OASS. 

«  London,  April  22,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  see  a  good  deal  of  Baron  Poerio,  the 
minister  in  '49,  and  ever  since  the  imprisoned  victim,  of 
the  now  dying  King  of  Naples.  He  is  a  short,  slender 
gentleman,  rather  bald,  of  unaffected  quiet-toned  manners, 
and  of  clear  mind.  I  should  presume  him  to  be  about  55 ; 
he  attracts  much  kind  notice,  and  circulates  actively. 
The  deportment  of  all  these  escaped  prisoners  has  been, 
since  they  reached  England,  most  admirably  becoming. 
They  are  not  generally  military  men,  but  they  seem  to 
regard  the  Sardinian  army  as  their  natural  resource. 

Two  brilliant  intellects  of  the  19th  century  have  just 
died  out :  De  Tocqueville,  at  Cannes,  on  Saturday  last, 
and  Lady  Morgan,  at  London,  on  the  preceding  Wed- 
nesday. 

The  heavy  sword  of  Brennus  has  suddenly  been  pitched 
into  the  scales,  though  not  exactly  from  the  quarter  I  had 
anticipated.  Yesterday  morning,  the  funds  rose.  Lord 
Malmesbury's  indefatigable  and  inexhaustible  proposals 
for  peace,  disarmament,  and  a  Congress  seemed  every- 
where accepted,  and  even  my  obstinate  convictions  were 
giving  way;  when,  crack!  came  the  thunderclap  of  the 
afternoon's  telegram  from  Turin,  announcing  that  Giulai, 
the  Austrian  Commander-in-chief  at  Milan,  had  sum- 
moned Piedmont  to  disperse  her  soldiers  and  volunteers 
under  penalty  of  war  and  invasion  at  the  expiration  of 
three  days!  I  do  not  believe  the  fact  to  be  so,  but  it  looks 
very  much  as  if  England  had  busied  herself  in  adminis- 
tering opiates  and  sedatives  to  Louis  Napoleon,  while  the 
black  double-headed  eagle  was  stretching  its  wings  for  a 


110  TO  MR.  CASS. 

spring  and  a  swoop.  For,  what  can  Victor  Emmanuel 
do  now?  He  must  fly  before  the  immense  forces  he  is 
wholly  incapable  of  repelling;  his  capitals  must  fiill  in 
quick  succession:  and  when  he  is  irreparably  ruined,  and 
perhaps  a  suicide  after  the  fashion  of  his  father,  then 
possibl}'  France,  delirious  with  shame,  may  rush  to  re- 
venge him.  If  the  French  talie  up  this  notion,  that  their 
honor  has  been  compromised  by  too  blind  a  reliance  upon 
their  dear  allies,  whither  will  they  not  impetuously  turn 
to  strike?  Scotch  "second  sight"  is  hardly  necessary  to 
make  palpable  the  crowded  harbor  and  bristling  batteries 
of  Cherbourg.  And  Queen  Victoria  is  without  her  Par- 
liament, her  Channel  without  a  fleet,  her  coasts  without- 
defences,  and  her  militia, without  arms  or  practice!  Here 
is  a  complication  from  which  you  may  deduce  the  likeli- 
hood of  a  violent  demand  for  the  restoration  of  Lord  Pal- 
merston,  the  recognized  War  minister,  to  power. 

I  wish  Congress  could  be  persuaded  to  place  at  the  dis- 
position of  the  American  minister  here  a  reasonable  credit 
with  the  house  of  Barings,  to  be  applied,  under  Presi- 
dential sanction  in  each  case,  to  the  purchase  of  rare  relics 
illustrative  of  our  national  history.  Besides  the  catalogue 
of  Franklinian  and  Revolutionary  articles  sold  on  the  6th 
instant,  but  which  you  plead  poverty  for  not  buying,  here 
is  a  manuscript  of  extreme  interest  by  Bradford,  the  nar- 
rator of  the  preparations,  voyage,  and  settlement  of  the 
Pilgrims,  quormn  jMrs  fuit:  and  here,  telling  a  tale  of  our 
complete  and  minute  custom-house  subserviency,  while 
colonies,  to  the  London  establishment,  is  the  very  copper- 
plate wdience  were  struck,  and  sent  over,  certificates  of 
assessed  valuations  of  imports! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  263 -TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  April  29,  1859. 

My  dear  SiRb — The  Foreign  Office  and  the  Exchange 
are  equally  under  a  panic.  Stocks  are  tumbling  head- 
long, with  curses  louder  and  deeper  than  any  heard  since 
'48.  As  to  Lord  Malmesbury,  he  is  fiercely  assailed  in  the 


TO    MR.  CASS.  Ill 

newspapers  for  absence  and  neglect  of  duty  at  an  appalling 
crisis.  It  will  turn  out,  as  I  believe,  that  the  Secretary, 
over-zealous  to  avert  war,  has  hurried  to  Paris  to  present  in 
person  England's  final  ofl:er  of  mediation.  The  treaty  of 
alliance  offensive  and  defensive  between  Russia  and 
France,  executed  three  days  after  the  date  of  the  Austrian 
summons  to  Piedmont,  and  immediately  announced,  has 
created  o-eneral  surprise  and  consternation.  The  Czar's 
troops  are  in  two  armies  of  observation,  composedly  ex- 
ercising surveillance, one  on  the  eastern  frontier  of  Prussia, 
the  other  not  distant  from  the  eastern  frontier  of  Austria. 
They  will  cross  the  boundary  at  the  signal  of  Louis 
Napoleon,  who  sped  from  Paris  yesterday  for  a  field  of 
battle  in  the  vicinity  of  that  of  Marengo.  The  Duke  of 
Malakoft'is  still  here,  and  possibly  may  linger  for  several 
days: — but  he  has  left  what  I  take  to  be  his  farewell 
cards.  He  has  often  said  that  the  Emperor  was  no  general 
and  never  could  be  one.  His  Majesty  has  nevertheless 
organized  a  magnificent  campaign,  and  if  he  come  out  as 
well  as  he  goes  into  it,  the  Marshal  will  be  obliged  to  eat 
bis  words.  In  the  course  of  the  present  week  the  soil  of 
Piedmont  will  be  trodden  by  little  less  than  350,000 
armed  men,  marshalled  by  three  sovereigns,  and  bent  on 
a  pitched  battle  whose  importance  far  transcends  that  of 
Waterloo. 

The  pei'plexities  and  tribulations  of  Lord  Malmesbury 
are,  as  we  may  readily  imagine,  au  comble.  But  the  real 
state  of  things  is  every  instant  thrown  into  doubt  by  fresh 
telegrams  across  the  Channel.  Since  I  began  this  letter, 
a  distinction  is  taken  between  a  treaty  ofl'ensive  and  de- 
fensive, and  a  'perfect  understanding,  in  explanation  of  the 
Czar's  attitude.  Bonaparte's  quitting  Paris  is  said  not 
to  be  definitive,  and  hence  he  don't  empower  the  regency 
to  act: — he  will  be  back  before  he  enters  Italy.  He  is 
gaining  time  by  forbearing  to  slam  the  door  against  me- 
diation. All  the  while,  however,  it  is  certain  that  im- 
mense bodies  of  troops  are  pouring  across  the  frontiers  of 
Piedmont. 

Should  this  European  war  proceed,  of  which  I  have 
hardly  had  a  doubt  since  the  1st  of  Januj^ry,  would  it  not 
be  well  to  suggest  to  General  Floyd  the  expediency  of 
allowing  some  of  our  most  promising  ofiicers  to  witness 
its  operations?     Vast  improvements  in  military  weapons, 


112  TO  MR.  CASS. 

it  is  said,  will  have  their  first  practical  trials;  and  the 
French  Emperor  has  studied  out,  and  meditates  exhibit- 
ing, new  strategical  movements,  the  very  hints  of  which 
have  thrown  all  the  young  Gallic  mousquetaires  into  ec- 
stacies.  For  my  own  part,  I  should  like  to  see,  if  the  com- 
batants would  permit  it,  an  American  historiographer, 
Major  Delatield  for  instance,  at  or  near  every  battle.  ♦^ 

The  election  is  going  on  with  less  agitation  than  was 
expected.  The  coffers  of  the  Carlton  Club  are  crammed 
with  means  for  "paying  expenses." 

.     Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  264.-T0  MK.  OASS. 

London,  May  3,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  may  be  important  that  you  should 
promptly  know  the  judgment  passed  by  this  government 
upon  the  proceedings  of  their  negotiator  in  Nicaragua; 
and  I  therefore  availed  myself  of  the  earliest  opportunity 
by. the  Arago  from  Southampton.  The  tone  of  censure 
used  by  Lord  Malmesbury  is  somewhat  softened  in  my 
report.  Such  unexplained  departures  from  prescribed 
duty  could,  he  said,  be  only  attributed  "to  the  loss  of  his 
faculties  " ! 

I  introduced  conversation  by  complimentary  reference 
to  the  Secretary's  great  exertions  for  the  preservation  of 
peace  in  Europe.  The  truth  is,  I  felt  the  extraordinary 
alteration  his  appearance  had  undergone.  lie  looked 
abatiu,  exhausted,  worn,  grave:  as  if  ten  years  of  suffering 
had  intervened  since  I  last  saw  him.  He  said  he  had 
given  fourteen  hours  of  every  day  for  two  months  to 
efforts  to  keep  people  from  fighting,  but  fight  they  would, 
in  spite  of  everything  he  had  been  able  to  say  or  do  : — all 
mediation  or  intercession  was  at  an  end  : — and  (pausing  to 
reflect)  they  fight  this  very  day ! 

War  then  is  opened.  The  white-coated  legions,  with 
their  black  dou We- headed  eagles,  have  crossed  the  Ticino, 
and  Austria  is  in  Piedmont  on  the  banks  of  the  Sesia ! 
Nothing  as  yet  but  a  lively  skirmish  : — the  Sardinians 
killing  a  colonel  and  fifteen  privates,  and  then  retreating. 


J 


TO  MR.   T.  113 

The  French  are  hastening  to  the  theatre  of  action,  through 
all  the  passes,  in  great  corps  and  high  spirits : — forty  thou- 
sand of  them  at  Genoa  from  Algeria  and  Toulon.  Revo- 
lution has  exploded  at  the  approach  of  the  tricolor  in 
Tuscany  (whose  ducal  family  have  fled),  in  Parma  (whose 
duchess  is  among  the  missing),  in  Modena ;  and  even  in 
Rome,  popular  "manifestations,"  after  taking  a  decided 
course,  tending  to  the  overthrow  of  the  Pope's  secular 
power,  have  only  been  suspended  by  the  persuasive  exhor- 
tation of  the  French  General  Guyon.  The  respective  diplo- 
matic vindications  of  the  tliree  belligerents  are  now  ad- 
dressed and  circulated  at  the  bar  of  European  opinion.  Xa- 
poleon,  however,  is  still  in  Paris,  and  Malakoft"  in  London. 

At  present  the  policy  of  maintaining  a  pacific  neutrality  is 
here  ascendant.  All  the  hustings  proclaim  it.  The  pipe 
of  every  section,  Derby,  Palmerston,  Russell,  or  Bright, 
discourses  the  same  eloquent  music.  Yet  the  Mediterra- 
nean squadrons  and  garrisons  are  reinforced,  and  the  Chan- 
nel fleet  is  in  process  of  doubling.  Volunteers,  too,  are 
drilling  with  rifles: — the  militia  embodying: — and  the 
coast  fortifications  are  anxiously  brushed  up.  There  is  no 
knowing,  indeed,  in  what  direction  the  lava  of  a  volcano 
may  scoop  its  channel. 

The  complexion  of  the  new  House  of  Commons  cannot 
yet  be  determined.  The  Conservatives  will  gain,  say  their 
adversaries,  about  ten  members, — not  enough  to  enable 
them  to  retain  the  government.  Lord  Palmerston  antici- 
pates another  ministry,  and  another  dissolution  consequent 
upon  the  adoption  of  another  Reform  bill  in  less  than  a 
twelvemonth. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  265 -TO  MR.  T. 

London,  May  7,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  got  yours  of  the  2d  instant  with  its 
enclosure. 

When  Mr. asks  "  for  such  information,  in  regard 

to  international  law,  as  will  define  the  rights,  obligations, 
and  responsibilities  of  neutral  ships,"  he  asks  a  pamphlet, 

VOL.  II. — 8 


114  TO  MR.  PICKENS. 

not  to  be  struck  oif  (according  to  the  newly  coined  phrase) 
as  quick  as  1  o'clock.  I  think  it  one  of  the  most  violently 
unreasonable  requests  ever  made  to  a  public  officer  who 
has  current  business  exacting  attention.  If  I  can  manage 
to  get  time  enough  to  compress  a  few  leading  principles, 
rules,  and  cases,  witliin  something  short  of  an  octavo,  you 
may  have  a  chance  to  hear  from  me;  otherwise,  hint  to 
Mr. that  what  he  wants  he  can  easiest  and  safest  pro- 
cure by  administering  a  handsome  fee  to  some  eminent 
professional  counsel. 

Faithfullv  vrs. 


No.  266.-T0  ME.  PICKENS. 

London,  May  8,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Tour  highly  interesting  letter  of  the 
19th  ultimo  would  have  been  answered  before,  but  that 
our  Central  American  relations  suddenly  required  recti- 
fication here  and  exacted  exclusive  zeal.  It  will  be  a 
source  of  great  pleasure  to  me  to  exchange  thoughts  with 
you  occasionally.  I  cherish  many  delightful  remem- 
brances of  my  short  residence  in  St.  Petersburg  during 
the  years  '37,  *38,  and  '39,  and  feel  much  interest  in  the 
movements  of  the  present  Czar,  in  their  bearing  on 
foreign  politics,  or  domestic  ameliorations.  He  became 
of  age  while  I  was  at  his  father's  Court. 

The  condition  of  things  at  home  seems  rapidly  im- 
proving. All  the  elements  of  prosperity  are  vigorously 
pushing  upwards.  Coal,  iron,  cotton,  corn,  railways,  are 
emerging  from  the  fogs  of  panic.  An  excess  of  imports 
is  apprehended: — a  dangerous  consequence,  but  sure 
proof,  of  renovated  enterprise.  The  incumbent  of  the 
Treasury,  after  suffering  the  chilly  horrors  of  emptiness, 
will  have  to  watch  and  subdue  the  tendencies  to  repletion. 

The  Paraguay  Armada  returns ;  having  accomplished 
very  little,  but  that  little  quite  enough.  Peace  and  good 
will  are  pearls  for  which  we  must  sometimes  pay  a  high 
price.  \Ve  probably  saved  in  the  future  a  good  deal  by 
the  size  and  vigor  of  the  demonstration. 

The  very  equivocal — rather  the  unequivocally  wrong — 


TO  MR.  PICKENS.  115 

course  taken  bj  the  British  negotiator  in  Nicaragua, 
threatened  to  necessitate  a  similar  movement  in  that 
quarter.  I  think,  however,  it  will  be  abstained  from. 
The  fault  was  clearly  more  in  Sir  "William  G.  Ousely  than 
in  the  local  statesmen;  and  the  remedy  sent  from  the 
Foreign  Office  will  doubtless  be  efficacious;  we  shall 
have  the  Cass-Yrissari  Treaty  imre  et  simple:  the  transit 
opened,  permanently  neutral  to  all  the  world :  the  Mos- 
quito Protectorate  at  an  end ;  and  the  Bay  Islands  re- 
stored to  Honduras : — these  arrangements  leaving  the 
Clayton-Bulwer  Treaty  free  of  contestable  points. 

If,  in  addition  to  the  Right  of  Search  question,  the 
China  question,  the  Paragua}'  question,  and  the  Central 
American  question,  the  President  shall  be  able  to  adjust 
advantageously  the  wretched  Mexican  question,  his  for- 
eign policy  will  stand  a  very  good  chance  of  being  esteemed 
historically  as  fortunate,  no  matter  how  his  personal  popu- 
larity at  home  may  stand. 

The  existing  war  is  an  exceedingly  interesting  event. 
Of  the  real,  though  distant,  source  whence  it  springs,  one 
can  scarcely  doubt.  "When  you  hear  of  an  unaccountable 
murder,  you  ask  "  who  benefits  by  it?"  It  is  possible  that 
Italy  may  incidentally  be  relieved  of  Austrian  tyranny : 
but  the  Emperor  of  Russia  would  appease  his  Sire's  ghost 
by  occupying  the  halls  of  Stamboul,  and  a  large  print  of 
the  foot  of  Xapoleon  I.  is  indelible  at  the  base  of  the  great 
Pyramid.  At  the  expiration  of  this  struggle,  unless  the 
maritime  power  of  England  energetically  intervene,  the 
Crescent  will  have  disappeared  from  Europe,  and  Egypt 
be  annexed  to  Algeria.  That  is  the  only  los^ical  end  to 
the  beginning. 

Just  now,  the  public  men  of  Great  Britain,  high  and 
low,  in  and  out  of  office,  on  the  hustings  and  in  private, 
unanimously  inculcate  neutrality.  The  policy  is  wise, — 
for  the  time  being:  but  it  will  not  continue  wise  or  safe, 
as  soon  as  the  vista  shall  open  of  a  redistribution  of  em- 
pire in  especial  reference  to  the  crowns  at  Paris  and  St. 
Petersburg.  For  one,  or  two,  or  three  years,  England 
may  husband  her  vast  resources  and  concentrate  her  scat- 
tered forces:  and  then,  on  seeing  the  danger  patent,  she 
will  find  herself  able  to  compel  a  peace.  You  will  prob- 
ably have  remarked  that  the  instant  her  efforts  at  media- 
tion failed,  she  pushed  forward  the  doubling  of  her  lleets, 


116  TO  MR.  CASS. 

the  restoration  of  her  garrisons,,  the  embodying  of  her 
militia,  the  recall  of  her  troops,  and  the  recruiting  of  sea- 
men with  a  ten-pounds  bounty.  I  am  quite  satisfied  that 
she  will  try  to  avoid  being  drawn  into  the  maelstrom  of 
war,  until  she  feels  so  strong  and  so  secure  that  she  can, 
by  going  one  side  or  the  other,  bring  it  to  a  close.  Up  to 
the  point  of  driving  the  Austrians  into  the  Adriatic,  my 
sympathies  all  run  with  the  Italians,  and  even  with  Louis 
ISTapoleon  :  "  apres  cela,  rien  si  non  le  deluge!'^ 

I  agree  with  you  in  believing  that  our  American  in- 
terests are  beyond  the  reach  of  injury  by  this  war.  In- 
deed, as  neutral  carriers,  our  merchant  vessels  may  be 
much  benefited;  especially  under  the  operation  of  th6 
2d,  3d,  and  4th  clauses  of  the  "Declaration  concerning 
Maritime  Law"  in  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of  April,  '56,  al- 
though Mr.  Marcy  refused  his  assent. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No,  267.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  13,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  are  but  two  topics,  the  war  on 
the  Po  and  the  tight  at  the  Polls.  The  latter  is  just  clos- 
ing:— shewing  twenty  Liberal  members  captured  by  the 
enemy,  but  still  leaving  a  large  superiority  of  force,  say 
55,  with  the  opposition.  Is  it  not  quite  shocking  to  per- 
ceive that,  in  this  highly  moral  and  religious  country,  so 
given  to  inculcate  virtuous  principles  and  practices  upon 
"all  the  world  and  the  rest  of  mankind,"  this  change  of 
twenty  constituencies  is  authoritatively  (Sir  James  Gra- 
ham), scarce  disputably,  attributed  to  bribery,  bribery  with 
a  Carlton  Club  fund! 

Governments  are  very  generally  and  distinctly  announc- 
ing neutrality  as  the  order  of  the  day.  In  the  actual  war, 
Russia  declares  herself  neutral :  so  does  Prussia  :  so  does 
Switzerland  :  so  does  Belgium  :  so  does  Holland  :  so  does 
the  Roman  Pontiff:  so  does  expiring  Bomba :  so  does 
Denmark :  and  so  shortly  will  England,  either  by  orders 
in  Council,  or  unequivocal  declarations  in  Parliament. 
Thus  the  war  in  Italy  assumes  the  aspect  of  a  prize  tight: 


TO  MR.  CASS.  117 

three  bruisers  without  backers  hemmed  in  by  a  complete 
cordon  of  neutrals.  How  long  this  cordon  will  last; 
whether  it  will  not  soon  prove  itself  a  rope  of  sand; 
whether  the  German  States  will  not  be  frightened  into 
fits  of  intermeddling;  whether  Russia  may  not  on  tiptoe 
creep  to  the  bedside  of  the  "sick  man;"  whether  Hun- 
gary may  not  invite  the  Czar  to  liberate  her  on  his  way  to 
enlarge  Greece  by  territorial  annexations;  and  whether 
splicing  Egypt  to  Algeria  may  not  fall  like  "a  stunner" 
upon  Britannia :  are  all  speculative  questions  of  easy 
starting  but  of  slow  solution. 

The  French  Emperor  reached  Genoa  yesterday.  To- 
day he  is  doubtless  in  Turin.  Whether  he  will  execute 
his  promise  and  get  to  Milan  in  three  weeks,  nous  verrons. 
He  left  Paris  on  the  surge  of  the  highest  swell  of  popular 
enthusiasm,  and  (a  comforting  fact)  carrying  in  his  port- 
folio the  spontaneous  pledges  of  the  "  Mariamne  "  and  the 
Socialists  that  they  would  guaranty  the  safety  of  his  dy- 
nasty and  family  during  his  absence.  His  command  is 
already  180,000  men. 

We  are  bound  to  celebrate  her  Majesty's  birthday  on  the 
19th  instant  at  the  Drawing  Room  in  St.  James's  Palace, 
at  the  Foreign  Office  dinner,  and  at  the  Prime  Ministers' 
ball:  and  all  this  by  conventional  arrangement,  when  the 
excellent  Queen  was  really  born  on  the  21th  of  May.  Quite 
immaterial,  when  once  settled. 

Marshal  MalakofFis  succeeded  at  this  court  by  corpora- 
tion-scolding Count  Persigny.  The  former  went  ott"  in  a 
hufl:',  at  being  sent  to  Nancy  to  await  the  possibility  of 
getting  the  command  of  a  division  at  some  future  day. 
Perhaps  it  is  intended  that,  in  order  to  have  a  pretence  for 
concentrating  the  army,  he  shall  do  something  to  provoke 
a  German  breach  of  neutrality.  Since  his  marriage,  I 
think  he  has  become  "the  soldier  tired  of  war's  alarms." 

Lord  ]!!Tapier  and  family  arrived  safely  at  Plymouth  a 
few  days  ago. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


118  TO  MR.  H. 


No.  268 -TO  MR.  H. 


London,  May  17,  1859. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  note  of  the  14th  instant  was  handed 
to  me  yesterday.  In  it  you  request  my  opinion  as  to  your 
contracts  to  ship  provisions  and  coals  to  France,  and  as  to 
your  position  in  executing  these  contracts,  per  English 
vessels,  under  the  recently  issued  Proclamation  of  the 
Queen. 

You  leave  me  in  the  dark  as  to  the  dates  and  terms  of 
the  contracts,  the  expressed  purposes  to  which  your  sup- 
plies are  destined,  the  nominal  parties,  and  the  places  of 
delivery.  All  these  are  matters  which,  more  or  less,  affect 
the  character  of  your  proceedings.  One  thing,  however, 
is  I  believe  indisputable: — your  contracts  arcAvith  the  Im- 
perial government,  not  with  private  persons,  and  it  would 
be  difficult,  therefore,  should  obstacles  interpose,  to  resist 
the  presumption  that  your  shipments  were  designed  for 
military,  not  domestic  use. 

The  penalties  and  forfeitures  provided  in  the  act  of 
Greorge  III.  recited  in  the  Proclamation,  are  meant  to  en- 
force a  high  national  policy,  that  of  strict  neutrality  in  an 
actual  war  between  two  foreign  powers.  Such  shipments 
as  you  propose  would  certainl}'  help  the  belligerent  move- 
ments of  one  of  these  powers  injuriously  to  the  other:  if 
that  be  undeniable,  do  they  not  necessarily  violate  the 
neutrality  proclaimed?  and  so  subject  the  shipper  to  pro- 
secution for  misdemeanor  and  his  vessels  to  condemnation. 
If  the  Proclamation  means  less  than  this,  it  is  mere  pre- 
tence. 

But  perhaps  you  hope  that  the  doctrine  promulgated  in 
the  Times  is  sound,  to  wit,  that  the  statute  does  not  apply 
to  American  citizens  or  vessels.  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged 
to  think  otherwise.  The  very  words  of  the  act  refer  to 
"  any  person  "  and  "  any  vessels."  Our  citizens  domiciled 
as  merchants  in  England,  and  our  ships  in  British  ports, 
cannot  claim  immunity  from  the  operation  of  the  statute 
upon  any  principle  of  which  I  am  aware. 

These  views  are  hastily  submitted  to  you.  I  should 
much  have  preferred  expressing  them  orally: — because  I 
do  not  like  to  give  a  hurried  opinion  on  so  grave  a  topic. 
Please,  regard  them  as  coniidential. 


TO  LADY  S.  119 

Let  me  conclude  by  saying  that,  notwithstanding  the 
sugge-^tions  I  have  made,  the  shipment  of  lorovisions  only 
seems  to  me  so  little  likely  to  be  noticed  or  complained  of 
by  Austrians,  that,  were  I  embarked  in  the  business,  I 
should  not  be  deterred  from  going  on. 

Very  respectfully  yrs. 


No.  269.-TO  LADY  S. 

London,  May  18,  1859. 

My  dear  Lady  S., — Your  note  of  the  16th  instant  in 
reference  to  Mr. has  had  all  the  favorable  considera- 
tion which  any  request  from  you  is  sure  to  command  from 
me.  I  cannot  doubt  the  excellent  qualities  of  one  whom 
you  desire  to  serve  : — and  in  promptly  conforming  to  your 
wish,  it  would  be  a  source  of  additional  satisfaction  to  me 
to  contribute,  however  slightly  or  indirectly,  to  an  appoint- 
ment which  would  please  the  several  highly  cherished 
friends  whom  you  name. 

If  on  any  occasion  Lord  Malmesbury  were  to  honor  me 
by  touching  on  the  subject  and  asking  my  opinion,  I  might 
feel  at  liberty  to  express  myself  in  harmony  with  your 
suggestions.  But,  to  go  farther  than  this,  or  to  initiate 
the  topic,  is  out  of  my  power,  as  I  am  prohibited  by  posi- 
tive law.  What  course  of  conduct  heretofore  pursued  by 
the  representatives  of  the  United  States  at  any  foreign 
Court  may  have  suggested  the  expediency  of  the  legisla- 
tive injunction  is  unknown  to  me: — but  in  1856  Congress 
passed  an  act  prescribing,  among  other  matters,  that  "  no 
diplomatic  officer  shall  recommend  any  person,  at  home  or  abroad, 
for  any  employment  of  trust  or  profit  under  the  government  of 
the  country  in  which  he  is  located:  nor  ask  or  accept  for  him- 
self or  any  other  person  any  present,  emolument,  pecu- 
niary favor,  office  or  title  of  any  kind  from  any  such 
government." 

This  law,  my  dear  Lady  S.,  renders  me  powerless  to 
aid  your  gracious  object:  and  I  have  no  mode  of  miti- 
gating the  regret  felt  at  abstaining  to  execute  your  wish 
except  by  frankly  shewing  the  obligation  of  duty. 

The  departure  of  his  Grace,  the  Duke  of  Leeds,  shocked 


120  TO  MR.  CASS. 

us  all  by  its  suddenness.     Short  as  our  acquaintance  with 
him  was,  the  kindlj'  and  generous  features  of  his  charac- 
ter had  produced  an  impression  not  to  be  easily  effaced. 
With  the  sincerest  respect  I  am,  my  dear  Lady  S., 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  270.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  May  20,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Lord  and  Lady  Napier  had  a  prosperous 
and  quick  voyage  home.  They  are  fall  of  grateful  remem- 
brances for  kindnesses,  and  express  themselves  to  every- 
body with  warmth. 

Your  representative  at  the  Court  of  Lisbon,  the  gallant 
General  Morgan,  is  at  present  here.  He  escorts  Mrs. 
Morgan  to  Liverpool,  on  her  way  to  the  United  States 
by  the  steamer  of  to-morrow.  They  did  us  credit  yes- 
terday at  the  birthday  Drawing  Room  of  the  Queen, 

We  were  thirty-two  plates  at  the  diplomatic  feast  of  the 
Foreign  Office.  Among  us  shone,  in  a  perfect  wilderness 
of  diamonds.  Prince  Obrenovitch,  son  of  the  recently 
reinstated  Miloch  of  Servia.  This  specimen  of  the  race 
is  exceedingly  imposing,  and  dwarfs  nearer  and  older 
royalties. 

"What  of  a  battle? — coming,  not  yet  come.  Strategy, 
manoeuvre,  observation,  inspection,  distribution,  but  no 
light.  They  say  we  are  to  hear  of  one  to-night.  Sympa- 
thizing with  Italy,  I  almost  fear  the  news: — the  Austrians 
have  been  so  cautious  and  concentrated,  the  allies  so  dash- 
ing, brisk,  and  loud.  Then  the  military  theories  of  Louis 
Napoleon,  however  brilliant,  do  not  give  the  confidence 
imparted  by  the  experience  and  practice  of  Hess  and 
Gyulai.  And  again,  even  the  Emperor  himself  appre- 
hends mischief  from  the  rash  levity  of  his  new  troops. 
I  would  be  content  to  ensure  a  drawn  game  or  two  for  the 
next  month. 

Count  Persigny  has  resumed  his  embassy.  He  said  to 
me  yesterday  that  he  would  not  have  come,  had  he  not 
regarded  his  coming  as  an  earnest  of  the  Emperor's  good 
will  towards  England.     Something,  then,  makes  it  expe- 


TO   MR.  T.  121 

(lient  to  prop  up  the  belief  of  that  sfood  will  even  by  small 
matters !  Words  have  lost  their  efficacy.  No  wonder,  for 
the  world  is  pretty  generally  convinced  that  the  extraor- 
dinary armament  of  this  country  has  its  impulse  in  the 
knowledge  of  the  secretly  agreed  designs  between  Russia 
and  France.  I  think  the  leaning  of  sentiment  and  com- 
ment too  here  is  towards  Austria.  The  Times  has  man- 
aged, it  is  said  through  the  agency  of  Lord  Aberdeen,  to 
plant  a  "special  correspondent"  at  the  head-quarters  of 
the  Tedeschi  on  the  Po:  and  able  letters  have  already 
appeared,  eulogizing  and  vindicating  the  invad'ers.  The 
Regent  of  Prussia,  too,  father-in-law  oi  our  Princess  Royal, 
in  his  farewell  address  to  the  dissolving  landtag,  though 
still  ambiguous,  shews  more  anti-gallicanism  than  was 
expected. 

The  new  Parliament  convenes  in  ten  days.  The  Liberal 
majority  is  iifty-one,  nominally:  in  reality,  it  may  some- 
times be  many  more,  and  sometimes  wholly  disappear,  ac- 
cording to  the  questions  for  decision.  Great  exertions  are 
being  made  to  keep  the  party  united,  until  at  least  a  change 
of  government  be  etiected.  If  Reform  be  early  brought 
upon  the  iayis,  the  ministry  will  fall:  but  if,  as  I  hear, 
a  resort  be  had  to  any  other  expedient,  such  for  instance 
as  a  vote  of  want  of  contidence,  on  account  of  failure  to 
prevent  the  war,  or  on  imputations  of  electioneering  cor- 
ruption, the  "independent  members"  will  bolt,  and  Lord 
Derby  be  firmer  than  ever.  I  am,  as  you  know,  not  much 
of  a  political  conjurer:  but,  were  I  to  wager,  it  would  be 
that  the  cabinet  will  last  another  year. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  271.-T0  ME.  T. 

{Unofficial.)  London,  May  22,  1859, 

My  dear  Sir, — If  I  do  not  misapply  the  present  Sab- 
bath, I  am  afraid  that  an  answer  to  your  letter  of  the  20th 
instant  will  run  a  chance  of  almost  indefinite  postpone- 
ment. Perhaps,  too,  what  may  be  said  will  reach  all  the 
practical  objects  aimed  at  by  your  friend. 

The  memorandum,  now  returned  to  you,  of  the  legis- 


122  TO  MR.  T. 

lative  provisions  by  which  our  shipping,  in  its  titles,  trans- 
fers, and  privileges,  is  governed,  however  correct  in  itself, 
does  not  seem  to  me  applicable  to  the  enquiry  on  foot. 
Our  custom-house  regulations  are  not  what  you  want. 
You  are  seeking  a  solution  of  the  illusory  problem  started 
in  several  newspapers  since  the  Queen's  Proclamation  of 
neutrality,  to  wit,  whether  the  penalties  prescribed  by  the 
act  of  George  III.  can  be  avoided  by  shippers  in  England, 
if  they  employ  American  instead  of  British  bottoms  and 
flags.  Now,  on  this  question,  our  peculiar  customs  laws 
have  no  bearing  whatever. 

1.  AVhen  a  war  is  declared  or  explodes  between  two  or 
more  nations,  the  normal  relation  of  other  nations  to  that 
war  is  one  of  neutrality :  signifying,  engaged  on  neither 
side. 

2.  To  preserve  unquestioned  this  condition  of  neutrality, 
some  governments  deem  it  expedient  to  warn  and  deter 
the  people  by  threatening  with  penalties  and  forfeit- 
ures; other  governments  simply  go  on  their  usual  course, 
having  nothing  to  say  or  do  with  quarrels  which  don't 
concern  or  involve  them,  and  leavinsj  intercourse  and 
commerce  to  private  enterprise  and  prudence.  Great 
Britain,  on  the  occurrence  of  the  actual  war,  has  chosen 
the  former  proceeding:  the  United  States  have  mostly 
heretofore,  and  probably  will  now,  take  the  latter.  This 
difference  in  the  manner  of  municipal  action  towards  their 
respective  peoples  does  not,  in  the  slightest  degree,  vary 
the  character  of  their' international  relation: — they  are 
both  neutral  to  the  fullest  extent. 

3.  The  statute  of  George  III.,  recited  in  her  Majesty's 
Proclamation,  makes  amenable  to  domestic  or  municipal 
criminal  procedure,  certain  acts  tending  to  bring  the 
national  neutrality  into  suspicion,  against  wltich  we  in  the 
United  States  have  not  thought  it  necessary  to  take  such 
stringent  steps.  Both  countries  have  what  are  called  per- 
manent neutrality  laws  (ours  you  will  find  dated  the  20th 
April,  1818),  but  the  oflences  made  punishable  are  not  the 
same  in  reality  or  in  terms. 

4.  Observe  that  the  language  of  the  statute  Geo.  III. 
very  properly  makes  the  penalty  and  forfeiture  attached 
to  the  commission  of  the  described  misdemeanor,  appli- 
cable to  all  ^^persons^'  and  ^^ ships"  within  British  juris- 
diction.     It  would   have   been   strange   if  '■'■  foreigners," 


TO  MR.  T.  123 

domiciled  Americans  or  any  other  class,  had  been  allowed 
an  immunity  for  oftences  alleged  to  endanger  the  national 
good  faith,  honor,  and  interests.  We  have  not  declared 
in  our  criminal  code  the  acts  thus  denounced  to  be  misde- 
meanors: but  had  we  done  so,  certainly  aliens  or  strangers 
would  have  been  made  equally  liable  with  citizens. 

5.  Breaches  of  neutrality  are  of  various  kinds  and  fol- 
lowed by  various  consequences.  It  is  impossible,  for  me 
at  least,  to  state  in  advance  every  case  that  would  be  con- 
strued into  a  breach.  Take  it  as  a  fundamental  rule  that 
fraudulent  neutrality  is  no  neutrality :  and,  then,  that  in 
general  a  violation  is  committed  by  supplying  one  of  the 
belligerents,  directly  or  indirectly,  with  contraband  of 
war. 

6.  What  articles  are  contraband  of  war  must  be  too 
commonly  known  to  require  mention.  They  are,  broadly 
and  comprehensively,  such  things  as  contribute  to,  and 
are  designed  for,  military  use.  Provisions  may  become 
contraband,  if  destined  to  feed  a  population  intentionally 
condemned,  by  siege  or  other  plan  of  operations,  to  star- 
vation :  and  the  necessities  of  steam  navigation  would 
seem,  in  these  modern  times,  by  parity  of  reason,  to  con- 
vert coals  into  contraband,  if  freighted  for  a  belligerent 
navy. 

7.  I  have  been  surprised,  under  the  influence  of  these 
views,  at  tinding  some  portion  of  the  English  press  making 
the  unusual  concession  that  commerce  can  be  more  safely 
carried  on  from  tbeir  ports  in  Ameftcan  ships  and  under  the 
American  flag  than  with  their  own.  This  compliment  has 
too  little  foundation  to  be  accepted.  As  I  have  said,  both 
nations  are  neutrals,  in  reference  to  the  war  now  waging. 
To  be  sure,  an  English  merchant  in  Liverpool,  who  fits  out 
an  English  vessel  in  the  Merse}^  with  a  cargo  of  coals  or 
salt  beef,  and  orders  her  to  Toulon,  may  be,  and  his  ship 
also,  in  more  immediate  peril  than  would  be  an  American 
merchant  in  Xew  York  who  fits  out  an  American  vessel  in 
the  Hudson  with  a  like  cargo  for  the  same  French  port :  but 
the  greater  peril  does  not  spring  out  of  the  nationality  of 
the  citizen  or  ship  :  it  is  the  consequence  of  a  local  criminal 
law,  the  statute  of  George  III.,  which  at  Liverpool  applies 
indiscriminately  to  every  person  and  every  vessel,  but 
which  at  ISTew  York  don't  exist  at  all.  On  the  high  seas, 
in  the  view  of  the  parties  at  war,  and  in  reference  to  the 


124  TO  MR.  DILLER. 

doctrine  of  contraband,  as  the  two  nations  are  equally 
neutral,  it  is  quite  immaterial  whether  the  carrying  craft 
be  British  or  American.  If  the  freight  be  internationally 
lawful,  it  is  as  secure  against  invasion  in  one  as  in  the 
other:  —  if  it  be  unhiwful,  it  will  in  both  be  liable  to 
seizure  and  condemnation. 

8.  War  has  its  rights  as  well  as  neutrality.  These  rights, 
in  regard  to  maritime  captures,  are  enforced  by  courts  of 
admiralty,  whose  decisions  rest,  or  ought  to  rest,  upon 
the  established  principles  of  international  law.  Whether 
a  vessel  seized  for  breach  of  neutrality  be  good  prize  or 
not,  is  often  a  complicated,  nice,  and  difficult  question, 
requiring  the  closest  study  of  facts,  documents,  circum- 
stances, and  designs.  In  every  civilized  country,  admi- 
ralty tribunals  have  been  established  to  which  either 
party  to  a  war  may  resort  with  alleged  prizes  to  obtain 
judicial  decrees  of  condemnation,  unless,  indeed,  for  the 
stricter  maintenance  of  neutrality,  such  resort  has  been 
prohibited. 

But  you  will  say  enough,  and  more  than  enough  !  I 
believe  so  too.  Tliese  suggestions  have  been  made,  to 
indicate  what  I  conceive  to  be  the  right  track  of  thought 
on  the  new  phase  of  our  commercial  relations  by  which 
your  mind  is  exercised.  Each  of  them,  could  be  ampli- 
fied into  the  pamphlet  held  over  you  in  terrorem,  by  illus- 
trations, exceptions,  and  book  authorities ; — but  I  forbear 
to  do  what  would  consume  much  precious  time  (both 
mine  and  yours)  withoftt  yielding  a  corresponding  profit. 
One  reflection  I  must  add  :  indeed  "  situated  as  I  am"  (as 
Sir  Patrick  Plenipo  adroitly  intimates),  I  do  not  feel  at 
liberty  to  omit  it:  viz.  that  what  I  have  written  to  you  on 
this  grave  topic,  if  used  at  all,  should  be  used  with  ex- 
treme discretion. 

Faithfully  yours. 


So.  272.-T0  MR.  DILLEE. 

{Unofficial.)  London,  Maj'  24,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  received  your  excellent  letter  of 
the  20th  instant.    It  is  one  among  many  from  our  foreign 


TO  MR.  DE  LA   HENRIERE.  125 

consuls  which  the  war  has  induced.  All,  I  helieve,  are 
anxious  to  do  right: — but  all  are  not  as  inflexible  to  sur- 
rounding and  misleading  influences  as  I  take  great  pleas- 
ure in  finding  you  to  be. 

Your  law  on  the  mooted  topic  is  incontestably  sound, 
and  your  official  morality,  in  refusing  to  be  an  agent  to 
eflfectuate  a  fraudulent  cover,  not  to  be  questioned.  Never 
do  what  is  tainted  even  with  the  suspicion  of  mala  Jides. 
In  God's  name,  why  should  the  seal  or  the  flag  of  the 
United  States  be  debased  by  bolstering  or  disguising  what 
is  false?  We  should  recoil  from  such  profanation  instinct- 
ively. 

There  is  a  certain  amount  of  discretion  vested  in  you  by 
the  637th  paragraph  of  the  Regulations.  There  sliould  be 
proof  that  1.  the  purchaser  is  a  citizen  of  the  United  States, 
and  2.  that  the  transaction  is  bona  fide: — and  you  are  to  d&- 
\evvil\ue^\\\Q,t\\QV  thaXlwoof  he  satisfactory :  you  are  the  officer 
to  be  satisfied:  and  though  I  would  never  embarrass  a  fair 
transaction  of  business  by  captious  difficulties  as  to  evi- 
dence, yet,  if  I  doubted  its  integrity,  I  would  probe  it 
resolutely,  and  exact  all-sufficient  proof. 

Of  your  power  to  administer  an  oath  whenever  you 
think  it  necessary  or  proper  in  fulfilling  your  duties,  no 
doubt  can  possibly  be  entertained  since  the  passage  of  the 
24th  section  of  the  act  of  the  18th  of  August,  1850. 

I  will  only  add  that  the  advantage  to  be  derived  by  one 
neutral  ship-owner  in  selling  to  another  neutral,  even  as 
a  cover,  is  imperceptible  to  me:  for,  in  time  of  war,  no 
flag  can  protect  against  the  belligerent  right  of  search. 
Very  respectfully  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  273.-T0   ME.  DE  LA   HENKIERE. 

London,  May  25,  1859. 

Sir, — I  beg  to  thank  you  for  your  note  receivec^two 
days  ago,  and  for  the  spirited  little  volume,  the  Handbook 
of  Reform,  which  accompanied  it. 

As  the  dispassionate  conclusion  of  an  enlightened  stran- 
ger, your  estimate  of  the  Constitution  of  my  country  is 
exceedingly  welcome.     Born  under  the  beneficent  opera- 


126  TO  MR.  CASS. 

tion  of  that  instrument,  I  have  yet  to  experience  my  first 
doubt  of  its  great  wisdom,  or  to  shew  my  first  rehictance 
to  maintain  it  unaltered. 

With  sentiments  of  esteem  and  good  will, 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  yrs. 


No.  274.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  May  27,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  French  Ambassador  fairly  cor- 
nered me  at  a  reception  the  day  before  yesterday,  and 
with  unmistakable  empressement  and  perseverance  went 
through  an  elaborate  vindication  of  the  Emperor's  entire 
course  respecting  the  war.  It  was  necessary  to  give  my 
whole  attention: — for  Count  Persigny  speaks  poor  Eng- 
lish, and  is  too  courteous  to  insist  upon  his  own  tongue, 
though  I  hinted  he  might.  Well!  he  produced  in  my 
mind  a  conviction  that  iSTapoleon  III.  regards  it  as  essen- 
tial to  his  dynastic  and  national  policy  that  he  should  end 
the  war  and  leave  Italy  to  her  own  population  and  self- 
government,  as  soon  as  he  has  driven  the  Austrians  into 
the  Adriatic.  JS^othing,  said  his  Excellency,  can  be  more 
unjust  and  preposterous  than  the  English  notion  that  he 
wishes  to  go  beyond  the  independence  of  Lombardo- 
Venetia:  that  he  wants  crowns  for  his  cousins:  and  is 
preparing  to  confront  all  Europe  in  battle.  If  anything 
of  that  sort  result  from  the  intermeddling  of  the  German 
States,  the  fault  will  not  be  his.  Securing  the  Peninsula 
against  revolution,  and  France  against  its  contagion,  by 
giving  the  oppressed  and  misgoverned  people  the  po*ver 
to  act  for  themselves,  is  the  great  guaranty  he  proposes 
to  efl:ect  for  his  throne  and  fame.  Victory,  it  is  true, 
deals  with  the  general  as  brandy  deals  with  the  toper: — 
but  inebriation  may  possibly  be  escaped,  and  the  Count 
has  implicit  faith  in  the  strong  head  of  his  Majesty.  So 
have  I. 

Once  or  twice  heretofore  you  have  had  my  deduction 
from  various  and  numerous  small  matters,  that  the  tend- 
ency of  the  Derby  government  is  to  rajjprochement  with 
Austria.      That,  I   am   convinced,  is   their  gravitation. 


TO  MR.  MARKOE.  127 

Neiitralit}',  vigorously  arming  neutrality,  as  long  as  Na- 
poleon has  his  hands  full  in  Lombardy,  and  while  Prussia 
is  settling  the  Germanic  pre-eminence:  but,  when  all's 
ready,  the  ministry,  in  harmony  with  the  Court,  will  elude 
the  popular  vigilance  and  place  England,  before  she  is 
aware  of  it,  at  the  head  of  a  general  coalition  hostile  to 
France.  One  event  may  defeat  this, — a  ministerial  change : 
for  all  admit  that  no  administration  which  could  be  formed 
by  Lord  Granville,  Lord  John  Russell,  or  Lord  Palmer- 
ston,  would  allow  the  pacific  position,  now  unanimously 
chosen,  to  be  disturbed,  in  order  to  reinstate  or  uphold 
the  oppression  of  Italy. 

Her  Majesty's  mother,  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  about  73, 
has  just  undergone  a  severe  and  alarming  attack.  Should 
it  prove  fatal,  the  Queen's  afHiction  will  be  ample  ground 
for  putting  off  an}^  rough  handling  of  her  official  servants. 
The  Tories  would  rejoice,  as  brands  from  the  burning,  if 
they  could  tranquilly  tide  over  the  next  two  months. 
Poor  old  lady!  she  little  thinks  that  such  hopes  have  been 
kindled  by  the  report  of  her  illness! 

Senator  Seward  has  been  here  a  week,  and  purposes  to 
remain  until  November.  Sir  Henry  Holland  talks  of  vis- 
iting the  President  in  September.  He  likes  the  sea,  and 
has  American  investments. 

The  battle  of  Montibello,  though  unquestionably  a 
French  success,  is  not  esteemed  here  as  much  more  than 
a  sanguinary  skirmish  with  little  result. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  275 -TO  ME.  MAEEOE. 

London,  June  1,  1859. 

My  dear  Markoe, — The  military  movements  in  Italy 
are  very  engrossing.  To-day  brings  us  a  second  sanguin- 
ary fight  atPalestro;  in  which  the  Piedmontese  carry  off 
the  palm,  and  the  Austrians  are  beaten.  Their  chief, 
Gyulai,  is  reported  among  the  slain.  The  carnage,  both 
here  and  at  Montibello,  is  out  of  all  proportion  with  the 
result  as  affecting  the  campaign. 

In  the  north,  at  Como,  Garibaldi  has  received  a  check; 


128  TO  MR.  CASS. 

a  thing  that  will  do  him  no  permanent  harm,  for  he  was 
moving  oh,  like  mad  Anthony,  rather  recklessly,  too  much 
despising  his  adversary.  A  little  more  caution  and  arma- 
ment, and  he  may  yet  be  the  tirst  in  Milan.  One  can't 
help  wishing  this,  for  he  is  their  best  type  of  liberty  and 
independence: — republican,  ab  ovo  usque  ad  mala. 

Odd  enough,  I  am  getting  to  believe  in  the  sincerity  of 
Louis  ISTapoleon's  professions  about  the  only  purpose  of 
the  present  war.  1  have  persuaded  myself  into  the  con- 
viction that  it  is  the  interest  of  his  dynasty  and  fame  and 
future  power  to  stop,  at  least  for  some  years,  as  soon  as  he 
drowns  the  Austrians  in  the  Adriatic: — and  as  he  has 
sagacity  enough  to  see  his  interest,  so,  setting  aside  the 
notion  that  a  despot  can  be  a  liberator,  he  may  see  his 
own  selfish  and  solid  advantage  in  accomplishing  what  all 
Europe  will  praise  him  for,  if  he  be  content  as  soon  as  it 
is  done.  Of  course.  Englishmen  and  Germans  can't  reason 
in  this  way;  they  remember  too  keenly,  and  are  nervous. 

Prussia  is  fast  taking  the  pre-eminence  and  lead  among 
the  German  powers.  If  Austria  yield  her  the  pas  in 
political  arrangement,  she  may  be  flattered  to  a  rap- 
prochement, and  then  if  the  French  Emperor  forget  the 
moderation  inculcated  by  Eugenie,  she,  with  England  at 
her  side,  will  create  a  coalition  for  the  House  of  Haps- 
burg,  which  even  Russia  might  not  be  averse  to  joining, 
and  which  IS^apoleon  is  not  vigorous  enough  to  withstand. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


Mo.  276.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  3,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  am  told  by  a  confidential  and  reliable 
Whig,  that  all  eflbrts  to  bridge  over  the  chasm  between 
"  Lord  Pam  and  Lord  John"  have  failed.  Neither  will 
enter  a  new  government  except  as  Prime  Minister.  If 
such  be  the  irremediable  fact,  the  great  Liberal  party, 
with  its  majority  of  fifty  in  the  House  of  Commons,  must 
fly  to  pieces  on  the  first  occasion  next  week,  leaving  Lord 
Derby  "calm  as  a  summer's  morning."  Mr.  Roebuck, 
the  fiercest  of  the  Independents  or  Radicals,  and  Sir  John 


TO  MR.  CASS.  129 

Ramsden,  a  sterling  member  of  her  Majesty's  opposition, 
have  recently  made  speeches  which  disclose  a  very  un- 
promising prospect  for  those  who  covet  seats  on  the 
Treasury  bench. 

The  battle  of  Palestro  was  signalized  by  the  exhibition 
of  great  daring  on  the  part  of  Victor  Emmanuel,  and  by 
the  first  command  given  by  Louis  Napoleon.,  which  directed 
the  Zouaves  to  an  irresistible  attack.  It  was  reported,  but 
without  foundation,  that  Gyulai  had  been  killed.  As  the 
allies  contemplate  a  combined  movement  to  cross  the 
Po  in  face  of  the  Austrians,  a  general  and  most  destruc- 
tive conflict  is  hourly  expected. 

Some  of  our  distinguished  army  officers,  Crittenden, 
Carr,  Todd,  Leroy,  Glitz,  have  been  attracted  to  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic  by  the  war.  They  would  like  to  be  ob- 
servers at  head-quarters: — but  there  are,  I  fear,  insuperable 
obstacles  in  their  way. 

The  legation  was,  the  day  before  yesterday,  specially 
honored  b\^  receiving  her  Majesty's  commands  inviting 
Bishop  Delancey,  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  Senator  Seward, 
to  a  concert  at  Buckingham  Palace.  The  Queen  graciously 
permitted  the  presentation  of  Mr.  Seward  between  the 
acts  of  music : — I  had,  some  weeks  ago,  introduced  the 
Bishop  at  a  regular  Levee. 

This  morning  I  received  official  notice  that  her  Majesty 
will  in  person  open  Parliament  on  the  7th  instant.  What 
has  been  doing  since  the  31st  May  is  preliminary  only: 
the  election  of  Speaker,  Mr.  Denison  again,  and  swear- 
ing in  of  members. 

You  will  doubtless  have  seen  in  the  public  journals,  or 
received  from  our  consul  there,  Mr.  Ferdinand  Sar- 
miento,  the  official  notiiication  of  the  blockade  of  Venice 
by  the  French  fleet.  This  is,  I  believe,  the  first  maritime 
act  of  the  kind  in  the  present  war.  All  the  belligerents 
have  referred  to  the  Treaty  of  Paris  of  1856  for  their  rule 
as  to  blockades : — we  did  not  adopt  the  declaration  con- 
tained in  that  treaty,  but  I  suppose  the  rule  would  act 
upon  all  commerce  without  discrimination. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

VOL.  II. — 9 


130  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  277.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  June  17,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  world's  movements  have  hitterly 
been  brisk: — the  Tories  driven  out,  and  the  Austrians  be- 
yond the  Adda!  To  signalize  these  events  duly,  I  send 
you  a  list  of  the  new  government,  and  the  huge  blue-book 
of  correspondence  on  "the  aiFairs  of  Italy"  from  the  For- 
eign Office.  Of  the  first,  it  may  be  said  that,  like  the 
pudding,  its  proof  will  be  in  the  eating: — the  flavor  is  not 
peculiarly  palatable  to  us,  but  it  may  improve  on  tasting. 
Of  the  second,  this  is  clearly  true,  that  it  does  great  credit 
to  the  industry  and  fairness  of  Lord  Malmesburj^  as  a 
European  statesman :  the  Continent  will  read  and  digest 
it  with  avidity,  and  perhaps  hasten  to  regret  the  downfall  of 
Lord  Derby.  These  gentlemen,  after  all,  quit  power  with 
grace: — a  grace  that  has  emboldened  the  Queen,  notwith- 
standing the  condemnatory  vote  of  the  Commons,  to  con- 
fer the  Garter  on  the  retiring  Premier,  and  the  red  ribbon  of 
the  Bath  upon  his  principal  Secretary  of  Foreign  Affairs, 
as  also  upon  his  first  Lord  of  the  Admiralty,  Sir  John 
Pakington. 

The  virtues  of  a  caucus  were  signally  shewn  by  the  op- 
position. They  convened  to  the  number  of  274,  the  day 
preceding  the  opening  of  Parliament:  were  addressed  by 
Palmerston,  Russell,  Bright:  and  although  tempted  into 
dissension  by  Roebuck,  Lindsay,  and  Horsman,  they  stead- 
ily resolved  to  move  an  amendment  to  the  Address,  de- 
claring a  want  of  confidence  in  her  Majesty's  ministers. 
After  nearly  a  week's  debate,  the  amendment  prevailed, 
in  a  House  of  633,  by  a  majority  of  13.  Had  no  prelimi- 
nary and  conciliatory  meeting  shewn  the  possibility  of 
union  on  interchanges  of  mutual  pledges,  it  is  quite  cer- 
tain that  the  government  would  have  stood. 

The  distinctive  feature  of  the  new  cabinet,  as  a  political 
agency  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic,  is  an  avowed  sympathy 
with  the  Italian  cause  as  espoused  by  ISTapoleon  III.  To 
be  sure,  neither  Palmerston,  Russell,  Granville,  nor  Glad- 
stone will  dream  of  quitting  neutrality  in  order  to  aid  that 
cause: — but  as  soon  as  it  triumphs  by  the  expulsion  of 
Austrian  power  from  the  Peninsula,  they  will  firmly  in- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  131 

sist  upon  a  peace  by  their  mediation,  and  upon  guaranties 
of  independence  and  improved  administration.  If  you 
can  aftbrd  a  few  liours,  I  recommend  to  your  perusal  that 
cogently  argumentative  and  wonderfully  witty  book, 
About's  ^^ Question  Homaine.'^  You  will  there  see,  dis- 
sected and  phosphorescent,  the  corruptions  which  make 
changes  absolutely  indispensable.  I  think  the  oppor- 
tunity is  at  hand  for  their  cure: — but  it  will  be  like 
drying  the  sores  of  Lazarus. 

You  will  observe  that  the  cabinet  I  send  3^ou  requires 
the  Queen's  assent : — that  will  be  announced  in  the  two 
Houses  of  Parliament  this  afternoon,  and  probably  with- 
out modilication.  On  the  score  of  ability,  it  will  pass 
unchallenged.  A  greater  infusion  of"  Independent  Lib- 
erals" and  less  of  "  Peelites"  might  have  improved  the 
"  pudding."  Whether  Mr.  Cobden  will  accept  the  Board 
of  Trade  is  questionable :  he  and  Mr.  Milner  Gibson  are 
the  representative  men  of  the  extreme  left  "  below  the 
gangway,"  and  they  rather  seem  fobbed  off  with  pieces 
de  resistance,  hard  and  homely  places.  Mr.  Gladstone 
and  Mr.  Cardwell  are  assigned  the  posts  for  which  they 
are  respectively  admirably  fitted:  but,  as  to  the  former, — 
just  radiant  under  the  patronage  of  Lord  Derby,  eulogistic 
of  rotten  boroughs  as  nurseries  of  statesmen,  and  voting 
unabated  confidence  in  ministers — one  "  wonders  how  the 
devil  he  got  there !"  The  three  plain  Misters,  pray 
remark,  are  counterpoised  by  a  cluster  of  Dukes: — New- 
castle, Argyll,  Somerset;  the  best  tried  and  least  excep- 
tionable of  their  class.  A  happy  hit  brings  in  Lord  Elgin, 
and  makes  the  government  overwhelmingly  strong  in  the 
House  of  Peers: — even  though  the  despotic  Lord  John 
preferred  himself  to  Lord  Clarendon,  who  may  most  justly 
question  the  wisdom  of  the  preference.  Personally,  the 
Premier  has  limited  himself  to  keeping  his  faithful  "  cor- 
poral's guard"  the  three  Sirs,  Wood,  Lewis,  and  Grey. 
A  "broad-bottomed"  administration  here  was  once  short- 
lived:— perhaps  one  on  a  "  broad  basis"  (for  that  was  the 
improved  phraseology  of  the  present  coalition)  may  last 
a  little  longer.  Bottom  and  Basis!  tweedledum  and 
tweedledee  !  the  end  may  be  the  same. 

The  Austrian  Emperor  has  taken  command  of  his  army 
in  Italy,  as  a  preliminary  to  a  last  desperate  battle.  He 
stands  at  bay  in  what   military  men  call  "the  famous 


132  TO  MR.  CASS. 

quadrilateral  position,"  or  the  area  flanked  and  defended 
by  four  great  fortresses.  The  allies  will  undoubtedly 
rush  upon  him:  if  their  attack  succeed,  the  work  of  the 
campaign  may  be  regarded  as  accomplished,  for  they  will 
then  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  invest  the  garrisons,  and 
await  the  inevitable  capture  of  Venice  by  the  French 
fleet.  There  is  really  no  reason  why  the  war  should  not 
be  closed  by  N^ovember  next: — for,  observe,  that  the  atti- 
tudes respectively  taken  by  Russia  and  Prussia,  per  their 
recent  diplomatic  manifestoes,  render  it  in  the  highest 
degree  improbable  that  any  testy  or  terrified  member  of 
the  Germanic  body  will  intermeddle  with  the  struggle. 
Thus  localized,  like  a  malignant  disease  boarded  up  in 
an  infected  district,  it  must  soon  die  out.  I  do  not  say 
that  all  difiiculty  will  cease  when  war  ceases  and  Francis 
Joseph  renounces  his  provinces: — for  it  is  quite  obvious 
that  as  arms  are  laid  down,  up  will  spring  a  multitudinous 
crop  of  complications  respecting  the  Pope,  the  Legations, 
the  Duchies,  and  the  Two  Sicilies: — but  these  fall  to  the 
department  of  diplomacy. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  278.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  24,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  new  ministry  are  m,  but  not  fairly 
under  way.  Until  re-elected  to  their  seats,  vacated  by  ac- 
cepting office,  those  of  the  House  are  busy  with  their  con- 
stituents. With  some  it  will  probably  be  a  hard  road  to 
travel : — among  these  Mr.  Gladstone,  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer,  and  Mr.  Sidney  Herbert,  Secretary  of 
War.  The  former,  but  recently  twice  chosen  by  the  Uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  has  exasperated  toryism  by  joining  Lord 
Palmerston,  and  I  am  assured  by  a  gentleman  just  re- 
turned from  that  seat  of  learning  and  conservatism  that  he 
will  be  defeated  by  his  competitor  the  Marquis  of  Chan- 
dos.  It  will  be  something  odd  if  circumstances  should 
make  it  appear  that,  in  his  panegyric  about  two  months 
ago  on  nomination  boroughs,  he  was  under  the  influence 


TO  MR.  CASS.  133 

of  a  prophetic  spirit  as  to  his  own  impending  necessities. 
Herbert  is  hated  for  his  Romanism  (he  built  a  church 
which  for  excess  of  ornamentation  illustrates  a  bad  taste 
run  mad)  and  for  being  a  Peelite. 

The  expenditures  of  the  government  of  Lord  Derby  in 
military  defences  are  beginning  to  be  denounced,  and  it 
is  said  Mr.  Gladstone  intends  their  reduction.  This  de- 
sign is  connected  with  the  sympathy  felt  in  the  Italian 
cause,  more  genuine  and  sincere  than  that  of  the  preced- 
ing ministry,  with  the  greater  devotion  to  the  French 
alliance,  and  with  the  perception  that  the  extraordinary 
armament  of  England  is  represented  at  Paris  as  a  menace 
to  France,  wliile  it  sets  an  example  of  which  the  continen- 
tal states  avail  themselves.  Prussia  has  put  on  her  coat 
of  mail  and  seems  more  than  half  inclined  to  forbid  the 
allies  crossing  the  Mincio.  In  taking  this  step  she  would 
undoubtedl}'  place  herself  at  the  head  of  the  German  Con- 
federation:— but  she  prudently  looks  right  and  left:  on 
the  right,  for  an  intimation  from  Lord  Palmerston,  and  on 
the  left,  to  note  the  Muscovite  coj'ps  cVarmee.  The  step 
once  taken,  unless  Victor  Emmanuel  and  his  all-powerful 
colleague  are  willing  to  eat  dirt,  a  thing  altogether  in- 
credible, the  war,  like  a  vast  maelstrom,  will  very  rapidly 
if  not  instantly  suck  into  its  vortex  every  European  nation. 
I  don't  think  anything  can  be  done  to  restore  peace  until 
both  Lombardy  and  Venetia  are  independent;  aiming  at 
that,  the  struggle  has,  in  the  course  of  aix  weeks,  sacrificed 
some  fifty  tliousand  lives. 

Do  you  observe  that,  animated  by  the  republican  spirit 
of  our  Congress  of  '89,  the  Hospodar  of  Wallachia  and 
Moldavia,  Couza^  has  actually  abolished  all  titles  except 
those  descriptive  of  oflicial  duty  and  authorized  by  the 
new  Constitution  ? 

The  Queen's  concert  on  Wednesday  was  graced  by  the 
presence  of  the  Belgian  King  and  members  of  his  family. 
The  deaf,  and  loud-talking,  Prince  Esterhazy  was  there  also. 
Movements  in  these  elevated  circles  are  just  now  supposed 
all  to  have  their  meaning.  What  is  the  import  of  his  Ma- 
jesty's ?  Is  it  to  act  as  medium  between  Palmerston  and 
Prussia  ?  Is  it  to  fan  the  flame  of  Germanism  in  this 
Court  ?  Speculation  is  rife.  Leopold  could  not  withstand 
the  reconstruction  of  the  map  of  Europe,  which  a  great 
and  authentic   literary  discovery  has   proved  that  even 


134  TO  MR.  CASS, 

Charles  X.  sketched  and  encouraged,  and  which  Louis 
Napoleon  may  be  provoked  into  attempting. 

Don't  say,  "  rather  dull !" — for  my  consciousness  is  so 
sensitive  that,  if  you  do,  I  shall  hear  it  on  this  side  of  the 
water. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  279.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  July  1,  1859. 

My  deak  Sir, — With  equal  personal  safet}'  and  eclat, 
Mr.  Cobden  has  crossed  the  Atlantic,  and  Napoleon  III. 
the  Mincio: — the  former  welcomed  by  troops  of  eulogizing 
friends,  the  latter  accompanied  by  a  victorious  army. 

You  will  notice  the  very  warm  expressions  of  Mr. 
Cobden  about  the  kindness  he  experienced  in  the  United 
States.  They  are  among  his  earliest  outpourings  on  land- 
ing in  Liverpool.  We  could  not  act  otherwise:  he  might 
have  imitated  Basil  Hall,  or  Morpeth,  or  Dickens,  or 
Grattan. 

At  the  Queen's  ball  the  night  before,  last,  I  met  Milner 
Gibson,  Lord  Clarence  Paget,  Monckton  Milnes,  Charles 
Villiers,  and  others  of  that  ilk,  whom  I  was  astonished  to 
find  io;norant  of  the  advent  of  Mr.  Cobden.  Their  anx- 
iety  was  extreme  to  ascertain  whether  from  what  he  had 
said  and  done,  there  was  a  likelihood  of  his  accepting  the 
Board  of  Trade.  They  wanted  him  to  do  it: — but  ob- 
viously feared  his  Roman  inflexibility.'  His  decision  is 
yet  unknown;  and  the  advice  of  Mr.  Bright  may  disin- 
cline him  to  the  post.  The  woman  who  deliberates  is 
lost: — it  may  be  so  with  the  politician,  and  I  rather  infer 
from  silence  and  suspense  that  Mr.  Cobden  consents.  It 
is  a  matter  of  almost  vital  importance  to  the  Palmerston- 
Russell  ministry,  both  of  whom  met  him,  ere  he  landed, 
with  letters  of  invitation  and  courtesy. 

Mr.  Gladstone  will  be  re  elected  member  for  the  Uni- 
versity. He  has  been  violently  shaken,  almost  toppled 
over;  but  he  will  retain  his  seat.  The  election  closes  this 
afternoon.  Mr.  Secretary  Cobb,  with  fellow  feeling,  will 
felicitate  his  brother  financier  on  his  good  luck  in  finding 


TO  MR.  CASS.  135 

the  national  income  better  than  it  was  a  year  ago.  The 
customs,  and  indeed  all  the  sources  of  revenue  except  the 
income  tax,  have  been  very  productive. 

There  is  a  singular  identity  of  character  in  the  battles 
in  Lombardy.  The  last,  that  of  Solferino,  like  those  of 
Palestro,  Montibello,  and  Magenta,  can  scarcely  be  said 
to  be  a  victory  for  either  belligerent:  almost  a  drawn, 
certainly  an  inconclusive,  though  a  horribly  bloody,  fight. 
The  Austrians,  under  the  command  of  their  Emperor, 
against  respectful  but  urgent  remonstrances  of  General 
Hess,  advanced  across  the  Mincio,  200,000  strong,  to  meet 
the  coming  French  and  Sardinians,  180,000,  and  strug- 
gling for  lifteen  hours  on  a  Held  of  fifteen  miles  in  length, 
with  alternations  of  success  and  failure,  finally  retreated 
unpursued  and  in  order  over  the  river,  amid  the  natural 
obstacles  and  terrors  of  a  dark  tempestuous  deluge.  The 
French  Emperor,  it  is  undeniable,  exhibited  consummate 
strategetical  ability,  combined  with  omnipresent  activity 
and  luckless  courage.  .Gossip,  not  credited,  says  that 
one  of  his  epaulettes  w^as  shot  off  by  a  Tyrolese  rifle- 
man. 

It  is  impossible  to  see  one's  way  through  the  many 
complications  incident  to  this  war.  I  think  the  chances 
of  a  general  European  convulsion,  revolutionary  as  well 
as  merely  belligerent,  have  been  largely  increased  by 
recent  events.  At  Vienna,  I  am  told  by  Mr.  Villiers,  who 
referred  to  letters  received  by  his  brother,  the  popular 
rage  and  mortification  are  threatening  to  explode  against 
the  incapacity  of  the  sovereign  and  his  generals.  AH  the 
French  diplomatic  and  consular  agents  in  Turkey  have 
been  mustered  at  Paris,  have  received  fresh  instructions, 
and  have  gone  back  to  work  up  a  rebellion  against  the 
"sick  man"  of  which  the  Czar  may  avail  himself.  The 
covert  but  obvious  encouragement  given  to  Kossuth  and 
Klapka,  if  it  do  not  lead  to  insurrection  in  Hungary,  can 
hardly  fail  to  exasperate  into  action  some  of  the  German 
States,  and  as  sure  as  any  of  them  crosses  the  frontier 
to  aid  Austria,  Bonaparte,  now  raising  450,000  new  levies 
and  thus  lifting  his  forces  in  and  out  of  France  to  a  figure 
exceeding  a  million,  will  burst  like  a  torrent  over  the 
Rhine.  Prussia,  with  all  her  dignity  and  composure, 
secretly  dreads  this  irruption,  and  is  indefatigable  to 
repress  the  angry  spirits  of  the  Confederation : — yet  Sax- 


136  TO  MR.  CASS. 

4 

ony,  through  her  Metternich,  Beust,  replies  to  Gortscha- 
koff's  warning  in  a  tone  plausible  and  taunting.  Rumor, 
to  be  sure,  brings  upon  the  tapis  armistices,  mediations, 
concessions: — but  clearly  the  moment  for  any  of  these  is 
not  yet: — and  precipitancy  in  proposing  them  would 
make  matters  worse,  by  leading  to  their  scornful  and  ir- 
reparable rejection.  Louis  Napoleon  has  deemed  it  inex- 
pedient to  rouse  the  enmity  of  the  forty  thousand  Roman 
Catholic  priests  in  France  by  countenancing  any  assault 
upon  the  secular  dominions  or  power  of  the  H0I3"  Father: 
—  yet  it  may  be  doubted  whether  the  revolutionary 
patriots  of  the  Peninsula  will  be  satisfied  with  this  for- 
bearance. It  must  also  be  remembered,  as  a  fact  estab- 
lished historically  if  not  argumentatively,  that  blood  once 
tasted,  the  craving  for  it  becomes,  as  Senator  Seward 
would  say,  "irrepressible,"  and  th'at  Bonaparte's  triumph- 
ant conscripts  may  insist  upon  no  halt  until  they  reach 
Vienna.  Even  Professor  Espy,  though  claiming  the 
ability  to  raise  a  storm,  did  not,  I  believe,  pretend  to  the 
power  of  dispelling  it. 

Mr.  Murphy,  your  representative  at  the  Hague,  has  just 
visited  me.  He  accompanies  some  members  of  his  family 
to  Liverpool  to  embark  them  for  the  United  States. 

Ex-Speaker  Winthrop  has  reached  England,  intending 
to  travel,  first  through  the  island  and  then  on  the  Conti- 
nent. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  280 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  July  8,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  been  anxious  to  do  something 
which  would  shew  my  attention  to  the  joint  resolution  of 
Congress  on  the  Tobacco  Trade  to  which  your  printed 
circular  of  the  20th  April  last  applies.  The  unsettled 
condition  of  the  ministry  "suspended  everything  for  a 
time: — but  I  had  some  conversations  which  led  me  to 
think  that  a  change  in  the  duties  favorable  to  our  purpose 
could  not  be  looked  for.  Suddenly,  I  notice  the  news- 
paper paragraph  which  is  enclosed :  the  foundation  for 


TO  MR.  CASS.  137 

which  may  possibly  be  found  real  when  Mr.  Gladstone 
opens  on  his  budget. 

An  armistice  between  the  two  Imperial  fighters  seems 
agreed  to,  though  its  duration  and  terms  remain  to  be 
fixed  by  commissioners.  I  have  reason  to  believe  this 
measure,  altogether  operating  in  favor  of  Italian  independ- 
ence and  almost  necessarily  leading  to  peace,  to  be  the 
result  of  prompt  and  energetic  steps  taken  by  Lord  John 
Russell,  backed  by  the  Prussian  Regent.  If  this  be  so, 
the  new  cabinet  in  Downing  Street  will  have  consolidated 
itself  and  resumed  for  England  the  prestige  in  Europe  so 
much  impaired  of  late.  Yesterday  I  had  the  pleasure  to 
dine  with  her  Majesty's  principal  Secretary  of  State  for 
Foreign  Aftairs,  and  late  at  night  bustled  to  the  soiree  of 
the  Secretary  of  the  Admiralty,  Lord  Clarence  Paget.  I 
returned  from  these  two  excursions  of  fashionable  gaiety 
with  the  conclusion  mentioned. 

It  is  remarkable  how  little  confidence  is  expressed  by 
the  leading  intellects  here  in  the  designs  of  the  Emperor 
Napoleon,  whom  they  nevertheless  still  call  their  "great 
ally."  His  total  want  of  sincerity  and  truth,  even  in  his 
most  formal  public  documents,  is  regarded,  in  every  theory 
as  to  his  course,  to  be  a  conceded  postulate.  The  dread 
that  he  may  yet  direct  his  now  acknowledged  military 
genius  towards  this  country  is  almost  universal.  Lord 
Lyndhurst,  3'ou  will  have  noticed,  and  Lord  Brougham 
have  sounded  the  alarm  in  the  House  of  Peers : — and  even 
Mr.  Cobden,  though  he  declares  that  he  sees  no  danger 
of  invasion,  bends  before  the  prevailing  nervousness,  and 
is  willing  to  double  the  national  debt  rather  thifn  have  a 
French  army  for  a  month  in  London! 

The  terrors  of  the  Thames  are  taking  rank  with  those 
of  Bonaparte.  Pestilence  is  thought  to  be  brewing  in  its 
waters.  The  horrid  odors  which  accompany  its  returning 
tide  are  worse  now  than  during  the  heats  of  last  summer. 
Members  of  Parliament,  suffering  seriously,  are  perplexed 
what  to  do,  for  the}'  fear  to  excite  among  the  wretched 
classes  of  this  vast  population  an  apprehension  of  cholera. 
They  are  careful  what  they  say  upon  the  subject,  and  will 
work  hard  in  order  to  adjourn  soon.  The  armistice  may 
give  a  better  grace  to  this  purpose. 

General  Pierce  reached  London  on  Tuesday  last,  the  5th 
instant,  from  Brighton,  where  he  had  been  for  several 


138  TO  MR.  EVERETT. 

days.  lie  is  in  excellent  health,  For  the  benefit  of  Mrs. 
Pierce,  who  is  still  very  delicate,  he  has  taken  lodgings 
at  the  village  of  Norwood,  close  to  the  Crystal  Palace. 
He  will  perhaps  remain  in  England  until  late  in  the 
autumn. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  281.~TO  ME.  EVERETT. 

LoNDOK,  July  13,  1859. 

My  dear  Mr.  Everett, — Your  letter  of  the  28th  ult. 
reached  me  the  day  before  yesterday.  Its  enclosure 
and  accompaniment  came  safely  also.  I  obtained  from 
Count  Bernstorff  the  exact  address,  and  have  sent  to  Mr. 
Miller  as  you  desired,  the  letter  for  "  his  Excellency  Baron 
Bunsen,  Heidelberg,  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  Germany." 

The  power  of  your  pen  is  strongly  and  delightfully 
shewn  by  the  eulogy  of  Thomas  Dowse.  "  Phoebus !  what 
a  name  to  fill  the  long  resounding  trump  of  Fame !"  I 
am  a  little  exercised  with  the  doubt  whether  you  had  a 
conscientious  right  to  set  him  thus  in  amber: — and  would 
be  greatly  pleased  to  hear,  through  the  medium  of  Judge 
Edmonds,  whether  the  modest  spirit  of  the  leather- 
dresser   don't    shrink   from    your   brilliant   casing,    and 

"wonder  how  the  d he  got  there  !"     Certain  humble 

merits,  one  likes  to  see  drawn  out,  and  given  the  fame  they 
were  pi^vented  achieving  by  circumstances.  But  had 
Dowse  those  merits?  Was  he  a  practical  philanthropist? 
Was  he  an  ardent  patriot?  Did  he  devote  a  long  life  to  use- 
ful public  purposes?  Is  it  enough  for  the  immortality  you 
have  conferred,  that  he  had  seltish  though  correct  tastes, 
and  took  delight  in  books  and  pictures  which  he  held  to, 
notwithstanding  nephews  and  nieces,  until  he  felt  he  could 
keep  them  no  longer,  and  then  passed  them  to  your  His- 
torical Society  ?  As  an  author,  does  he  prove  a  title  to 
the  splendid  niche  you  harve  worked,  by  twenty  short 
lines  on  Franklin,  orby  paying  for  a  monumental  column? 
He  was  lame,  and  no  doubt  that  lameness  helped  to  make 
him  solitary,  selfish,  and  silent: — but  how  many  thousands 
suft'er  in  this  form  who  nevertheless  seek  society,  love  their 
kind,  and  charm  with  sentiment  and  wit? — which  are  the 


TO  MR.  A.  DICKENS.  139 

worthier?  ITave  you  not  in  fact  thrown  a  handful  of 
pearls — to  where  the}'  were  not  claimed  and  are  ill  suited? 
You  see,  I  am  jealous  that  such  consummate  power  of 
rhetoric  should  expend  itself  indifferently  upon  a  "Wash- 
ington or  a  Dowse. 

I  shall  be  happy  to  welcome  you  to  London,  and  must 
beg  3'ou  not  to  hesitate  a  moment  to  charge  me  with  any 
commissions  or  wishes  I  am  able  to  execute. 

Always,  my  dear  sir,  sincerely  yrs. 


No.  282.-T0  ME.  A.  DICKENS. 

London,  July  15,  1859. 

My  dear  Mr.  Dickens, — I  got  your  note  of  the  1st 
ultimo,  and  went  straight  to  enquire  the  reputation  of 
the  auricular  professors  so  full  of  promise  in  the  adver- 
tisement you  enclosed.  ISTSthing  good  could  be  picked 
up: — but,  finally,  the  parties  in  command  of  countless 
names,  were  charged  with  conspiracy  to  defraud,  before 
tbe  Recorder,  and,  after  much  evidence,  were  each  sent  to 
18  months'  imprisonment.  I  send  you  the  report  of  the 
case. 

There  is,  however,  another  invention  of  which  I  have 
heard,  and  to  which  I  shall  direct  my  attention.  A  lady, 
by  whom  I  sat  at  a  dinner,  observing  that  my  right  ear 
was  imperfect,  invited  me  to  look  into  hers;  and  there  I 
noticed,  tightly  embedded  and  scarcely  visible,  a  minia- 
ture trumpet.  It  effectually  restored  her  power  to  hear, 
and  she  employed  it  whenever  she  went  into  society  for  a 
limited  time.  But  she  had  a  vague  dread  of  its  w.odus 
operandi.  The  compression  of  something  like  a  delicate 
watch-spring,  one  end  of  which  kept  the  tiny  instrument 
in  the  ear,  and  the  other  passed  through  the  hair  to  the 
top  of  the  cranium,  was  sure  to  produce  pain,  occasion- 
ally violent.  She  recommended  my  trying  it: — but  really 
her  look  at  the  time  made  me  think  it  better  to  be  con- 
tent with  the  good  organ  left.  I  will,  however,  search 
farther,  and  let  you  have  the  result.  Nothing  would  give 
me  more  sincere  pleasure  than  being  able  to  send  you 
some  relief. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


140  TO  MR.  CASS. 


N0..283.-TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  July  15,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  quick  incidents  of  the  day  are  gen- 
erally thought  full  of  approaching  mischief.  The  peace 
of  the  two  Emperors,  signed  at  Villafranca  on  the  11th 
instant,  is  not  yet  clearly  comprehended,  but  every  one 
sees  that  something  ?iot  seen  has  rehabilitated  Austria  in 
Italy  at  the  very  moment  she  was  being  extinguished  : — 
every  one  sees  that  Sardinia  has  been  coldly  thrown  her 
stipulated  pound  of  tlesh  without  a  drop  of  blood  in  it: — 
every  one  sees  that  the  despotic  principle  rejoices  in  an 
overshadowing  triumvirate : — everyone  sees  that  the  move- 
ments of  Prussia  and  the  press  of  England  are  already  in 
the  crucible  to  produce  the  amalgam  of  another  war:  — 
every  one  sees  that  the  eagles  which  flew  across  the  Alps 
can  as  rapidly  perch  upon  the  hilU  around  Cherbourg: — 
every  one  sees  that  the  abru^ft  abandonment  of  one  pro- 
gramme necessitates  the  annunciation  of  a  second  still 
more  exciting  and  acceptable  :  —  in  fine,  every  one  sees,  or 
thinks  he  sees,  a  huge  finger,  or  an  air-drawn  dagger,  over 
the  "  Iiivalides,"  pointing  to  the  chalky  cliflfe  of  perfidious 
Albion.  There  are  not  wanting  those  who  already  give 
up  the  struggle,  who  deem  successful  resistance  impos- 
sible, and  who  would  rather  propitiate  than  exasperate 
the  invader.  One  public  and  forcible  writer  recommends 
an  immediate  appeal  to  the  liberty-loving  and  arms-wield- 
ing citizens  of  the  United  States!  All  this  springs  from 
exaggerated  alarm :  an  alarm  to  which  the  recent  shifts  of 
Imperial  policy  lend  the  character  of  patriotism. 

Napoleon  is  looked  for  in  Paris  to-day.  Some  have 
fancifully  thought  that  neither  his  own  army,  nor  the 
revolutionists,  nor  the  corps  of  Garibaldi  would  suffer 
him  to  quit  Italy  alive.  He  comes  without  his  soldiers, 
and  postpones  an  ovation  until  they  arrive  to  participate 
in  it. 

I  have  written  several  rather  lengthy  notes  to  enquiring 
consular  functionaries  on  the  rights  and  duties  of  neu- 
trality. The  trouble  might  have  been  saved,  for  the 
present  at  least.  As  the  newspapers  report  you  to  be 
engaged  on  a  comprehensive  manifesto  of  the  kind,  I 


TO  MONCKTON  MILXES,  M.  P.  141 

hope  3'oa  will   have  finished  it  before  you  hear  of  the 
peace. 

Pray  notice  the  denunciations  passed  by  Lord  Brougham 
and  other  anti-slavers  upon  the  horrors  and  infamies  of  the 
Coolie  trade.  Poor  Jamaica!  she  can't  be  allowed  labor, 
black  or  white. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  284 -TO  MONOKTON  MILNES,  M.  P. 

London,  July  28,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  subject  of  your  note  of  the  25th 
instant  has,  for  many  years,  engaged  the  attention  of  my 
predecessors  and  myself.  I  have  meditated  sending  you 
the  dead  fruits  of  our  etibrts: — hence  my  delay  in  answer- 
ing:— but  I  find  that  doing  so  would  involve  too  much 
copying  either  for  the  shorttime  you  have  left  me  or  for 
your  patience. 

If,  as  an  M,  P.  you  have  access  to  the  pigeon-holes  of 
the  Foreign  Office,  you  can  perhaps  come  across  a  long 
letter  addressed  by  Mr.  Buchanan  to  Lord  Clarendon,  on 
the  1st  March,  1855.  This  letter  was  the  epilogue  of  many 
conferences.  It  offers  three  articles  for  consideration,  the 
third  of  which  was  intended  to  remedy  the  practices  of 
which  the  Pamphlet  '■'■Unpunished  Cruelties"  so  justly  and 
persuasively  complains,  and  the  mode  of  cure  was  pre- 
cisely the  enlargement  of  consular  jurisdiction  you  sug- 
gest. 

The  project  failed,  and  my  eftbrts  to  revive  it  have  been 
fruitless: — much,  I  beHeve,  against  the  personal  leanings 
of  Lord  Clarendon,  but  under  authoritative  opinions  from 
Law  Oflicers  of  the  Crown,  who  saw  something  in  the 
arrangement  incompatible  with  fundamentals.  Certainly, 
a  good  deal  of  novelty  and  machinery  ma}^  be  seen,  which, 
according  to  the  constitutions  and  laws  of  both  countries, 
can  only  be  vindicated  on  the  maxim,  consensus  tollit 
erroreni. 

Possibly  a  Parliamentary  Resolution  (if  that  be  in 
order)  recommending  a  Consular  Convention  with  the 
United  States,  to  arrest  these  mischiefs  and  others  of  a 


142  TO  MR.  CASS. 

kindred  character,  might  embolden  the  ministry  to  make 
the  experiment  even  under  the  frowns  of  the  law^-ers.  I 
believe  it  would  work  practically  well. 

Faithfully  yrs. 


No.  285.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

London,  July  29,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — One  life  is  not  much,  and  yet  some- 
times, though  far  from  protracted,  it  witnesses,  in  its 
course,  really  wonderful  progress.  When  I  started,  men 
of  taste  were  not  very  laudatory  in  front  of  paintings  by 
Copley,  Trumbull,  West,  and  Stewart.  To  be  sure,  we 
praised,  because  we  had  no  idea  of  not  being  patriotic 
even  more  than  critical,  and,  perhaps,  because  we  knew 
no  better.  Well !  God  bless  the  aspiring  genius  of  my 
countrymen,  w^e  are  already  at  the  head  of  sculpture,  and 
here  comes  "  The  Heart  of  the  Andes,''  to  challenge  com- 
petition from  any  century  of  old  Europe.  The  chief  dilet- 
tanti. Lord  Lansdowne,  considers  it  an  unequalled  pic- 
ture, and  Lord  Stanley,  who  has  travelled  these  Cordil- 
leras, pronounces  it  a  faithful  portrait.  No  landscape  was 
ever  yet  put  on  canvas  more  absorbing,  more  rich  in  va- 
rieties of  beauty,  or  more  true  to  nature.  I  wish  it  were 
of  our  Rocky  Mountains !  IS'importe,  it  hails  from  the  easel 
of  "  Church,  of  New  York." 

It  seems  possible  to  delineate  the  heart  of  the  Andes, 
but  who  will  undertake  to  map  out  that  of  Louis  Napo- 
leon ?  What  is  really  in  contemplation,  at  present, 
as  to  the  future,  no  man  ventures  to  assert.  There 
are  reticences  which  cannot  be  dragged  forth,  depths 
unfathomable,  darkness  impenetrable : — or  it  .may  be, 
that  drifting  on  the  current  of  events,  and  watchful 
only  for  the  approved  opportunity,  the  avenger  of  Water- 
loo calmly  bides  his  time.  At  Zurich,  the  peace  will 
be  given  definite  shape.  Will  it  be  followed  by  a  Euro- 
pean Congress?  What  for?  Simply  to  do  what  was  left 
undone  at  Paris  in  1856,  to  soothe  the  seething  cauldron 
of  revolution  in  Italy?  Lord  John  Russell,  in  his  speech 
last   night  on    foreign    affairs,  threw  but   a   faint   light 


TO  MR.  CASS.  143 

athwart  the  gloom.  He  was  cautions  almost  to  cowardice. 
Remark,  however,  that  apparently  without  intending  it, 
he  developed  the  ruse  to  which,  at  Villafranca,  Francis 
Joseph  became  dupe  :  —  conclusively  shewing  that  the 
draft  of  terms  of  mediation  and  peace,  shewn  as  if  agreed 
upon  hy  Prussia,  England,  and  Russia,  and  which  he  has 
characterized  as  worse  on  the  part  of  his  "  natural  allies" 
than  those  of  his  conqueror,  was  concocted  in  the  bureau 
of  Count  Walewski,  never  assented  to  here  or  at  Berlin, 
and  was  therefore  most  deceptivel}"  used  by  Napoleon  in 
the  interview  with  his  brother  Emperor.  If  there  be  a 
Congress — resisted  only  by  Austria — England  will  hardly 
withhold  her  presence : — for  though  she  has  nothing  to 
do  with  the  points  to  be  adjusted,  and  is  choice  in  praise 
of  non-intervention,  yet  Lord  John  (for  such  is  the  pith  of 
his  address  in  the  Commons)  has  read  and  felt  the  ''me- 
lancholy chaunts"  of  Petrarch  and  Leopardi !  How  capi- 
tal this  in  a  parliamentary  leader! 

Bonaparte  has  determined  that  his  armaments,  both  on 
land  and  sea,  shall  be  ^'•remises  sur  le pied  de  Ixipaix^'  and 
Great  Britain  breathes  "freer  and  deeper."  His  ykd  de  la 
■paix  is  probably  what  it  was  when  he  told  Austria  the 
same  thing  just  before  he  threw  150,000  men  across  the 
Alps,  It  is,  however,  extremely  annoying  to  be  in  con- 
stant panic ;  and  so  a  prodigious  effort  will  be  made^here 
to  restore  the  public  equanimity,  on  the  basis  of  this  most 
oracular  and  illusory  phrase  in  the  Moniteur.  The  alarm 
has  certainly  been  universal  and  excessive.  Lord  Lynd- 
hurst  exhibited  its  extent  when  he  forcibly  inculcated* 
"distrust,  distrust,  distrust."  How,  indeed,  is  it  possible 
for  a  manufacturing  and  trading  people,  who  are  not 
familiar  with  the  use  of  arms  and  who  cannot  muster  a 
force  of  100,000  men,  to  banish  "  distrust"  when  they  see 
but  thirty  miles  off,  under  the  absolute  control  of  a  vic- 
torious avenger,  a  standing  and  irresistible  army,  with 
numerous  steam  transports  ready  to  annihilate  the  dis- 
tance in  three  hours?  Ay,  but  the  Channel  feet! — un- 
fortunately nobody  knows  where  it  is,  and  everybody 
knows  that  it  is  not  ubiquitous. 

I  have  had  on  hand  lately  many  of  my  distinguished 
fellow-citizens.  Mr.  Seward,  Mr.  Sumner,  Mr.  Motley, 
General  Pierce,  Mr.  Winthrop,  and  lots  of  others  whom 
it  has  atforded  equal  pride  and  pleasure  to  welcome  to  my 


144  TO  MR.  CASS. 

diplomatic  domain.  They  scatter,  however,  rapidly : — 
some  to  the  attractive  mountains  of  Switzerland : — some 
to  the  capital  or  "  vine-covered  hills  and  gay  regions  of 
France:" — some  to  the  Scotch  and  Irish  lakes: — some 
nestle  in  the  Isle  of  "Wight: — and  some  take  a  long  sight 
for  the  Pyramids,  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  or  the  Acropolis. 
Anywhere  and  quick,  rather  than  remain  breathing  the  un- 
usually hot  malaria  of  London,  and  the  pestiferous  efflu- 
via of  the  Thames.  Parliament  will,  I  think,  soon  follow 
this  rational  example.  Though  the  da}^  of  adjournment  be 
not  yet  fixed,  many  members  assure  me  that  the  session 
cannot  be  protracted  beyond  the  18th  proximo. 

The  committees  of  the  House  have  been  laying  bare 
the  corruptions  of  the  last  election.  Bribery  in  every 
shape,  bold  and  unblushing.  Employments  secured,  pub- 
lic offices  promised,  executions  paid,  and  golden  sover- 
eigns openly  laid  upon  tables  to  be  picked  up  by  voters ! 
A  more  scandalous  exhibition  cannot  be  imagined.  A 
contest  costs,  in  this  utterly  shameless  way,  not  less  than 
thirty  thousand  dollars,  to  the  victor.     One  of  the  unseated 

gentlemen  is ,  who  married  an  heiress,  and  who 

"bled"  profusely  to  attain  "position."  The  thing  is  so 
little  regarded  that  when,  on  the  evening  his  election  was 
declared  null,  I  met  him  at  Mr.  Sidney  Herbert's,  he  was 
full  off  fun  about  it,  and  smiling  sympathies  passed  current 
through  the  company.  When  matters  come  to  this  point, 
which  are  we  to  prefer,  the  universal  suffrage  under  Na- 
poleonic surveillance  by  Prefects,  or  English  limited  suf- 
I'rage  gorged  with  golden  baits? 

We  are  promised,  in  the  newspapers,  visits  from  the 
three  Emperors  in  the  course  of  the  summer.  I  have  no 
idea  that  the  promises  are  more  than  "  canards." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  286.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  August  5,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  seems  agreed,  that  at  the  last  election, 
both  political  parties,  Conservative  and  Liberal,  thrust 
their  arms  to  the  elbows  into  the  depths  of  bribery.  •  The 


TO  MR.  CASS.  145 

expositions  made  before  scrutinizing  committees  of  the 
direct  and  open  use  of  money  amount  almost  to  the  bur- 
lesque. In  his  tierce  indignation,  Mr.  Roebuck  drags  the 
case  of  a  member  for  Bodman  before  the  House  this  after- 
noon. Now,  this  gentleman  occupies  a  half-way  house  be- 
tween Whigs  and  Tories,  and  fairl}^  represents  both: — is 
a  scholar,  author,  and  old  legislator: — yet  is  he  personally 
picked  out  and  denounced  for  undeniable  corruption !  He 
is  striving  to  escape  the  ^elat  by  a  compromise  with  his 
assailant  and  by  accepting  the  Chiltern  Hundreds: — but 
Mr.  Gladstone  claims  this  myth  as  the  only  sphere  of  pa- 
tronage attached  to  the  Chancellorship  of  the  Exchequer, 
and  denies  him  the  sanctuarj'  unless  he  first  plausibly  ex- 
plains. Let  us  see  whether  the  onslaught  of  Mr.  Roebuck 
be  not  something  of  a  feint,  intended  to  subside  into  a 
fizzle. 

Opportunities  of  personal  intercourse  with  Lord  John 
Russell  occur  just  now  less  frequently,  owing  to  the  death 
of  his  father-in-law,  the  Earl  of  Minto,  a  few  days  ago,  in 
his  78th  year. 

We  are  expecting  an  inundation  of  Russian  Imperial 
visitors.  The  Czar  himself  was  supposed  coming,  but 
that  is  given  up.  The  Grand  Duke  Constantine  is  hourly 
looked  for,  and  was  thought  to  have  reached  Osborne 
last  Sunday  merely  because  a  sudden  convocation  of  min- 
isters at  that  royal  residence  was  noticed.  The  Grand 
Duchess  Maria,  whom  I  saw  married  to  Maximilian  the 
Prince  of  Leuchtenberg  in  July,  1839,*  and  who,  having 


■  *  Diary:  July  14, 18S9,  Smiday. — "Went  to  the  "Winter  Palace,  agree- 
ably to  invitations,  to. witness  the  marriage  of  tlie  Grand  Duchess  Maria 
and  Prince  Maximilian  of  Leuchtenberg.  Julia,  Elizabeth,  and  Sophia, 
having  obtained  tickets  of  admission  through  the  kind  activity  of  the 
French  Ambassadress  (Madame  de  Barante),  were  escorted  by  Madame 
Daschkoff  to  a  window  gallery  in  the  Chapel  which  overlooked  the  cere- 
mony. The  foreign  ministers  and  their  ladies,  after  waiting  with  the 
general  company  for  some  time,  were  shewn  by  Count  Woronzoff  into 
the  Chapel  and  arranged  on  the  two  sides  nearest  to  the  chancel,  forming 
aft  alley  for  the  Imperial  cortege.  Among  us  were  interspersed  Count 
Nesselrode,  General  Count  Woronzoff,  Governor  of  Odessa,  Count  Orloff, 
Count  Platen  (Russian  Ambassador  of  Paris),  the  Marquess  of  Anglesea 
and  his  three  sons,  Count  Levaschoff,  Count  Cancrine,  Count  Tscherny- 
schew,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  We  noticed  that  two  pairs  of  pigeons  entered  at  the 
open  windows,  and  alighted,  after  flying  roiind  the  dome,  over  the  altar: — 
an  incident  that  may  have  been  accidental,  but  which  many  conceived  to 
have  been  prearranged.  The  Metropolitan  and  a  concourse  of  twenty  or 
thirty  Priests,  robed  in  rich  vestments  of  crimson  thickly  crossed  with 
TOL.  II. — 10 


146  TO  MR.  CASS. 

lost  her  husband  some  seven  years  ago,  lost  it  is  said  also 
by  a  subsequent  mesalliance  her  caste,  has  found  her  way 
to  Torquay  with  a  miniature  Court  or  entourage  of  some 
six  or  seven.  She  is  represented  as  rivalling,  in  the  arts 
of  diplomatic  intrigue,  the  late  Princess  Lieven : — Is  that 
a  role  to  be  played  now  and  here?     Qiden  sabe? 

I  hope  you  will  specially  authorize  me  to  meet  at  once 
any  proposition  for  a  Consular  Convention  which  this 
government  may  make  in  consequence  of  the  motion  of 
Mr.  Milnes  in  the  House  of  Commons,  explained  in  my 
official  despatch  of  to-day.  There  are  other  points  of 
great  practical  interest  beside  the  "unpunished  cruelties" 
to  be  attended  to.  You  will  find  these  detailed  in  the 
admirable  draft  of  a  treaty  submitted  by  Mr.  Buchanan 
in  1855  and  the  correspondence  connected  with  it.  The 
obstacle  encountered  at  that  time  may  possibly  be  now 
kept  out  of  view:  especially  if  you  should  instruct  me  to 
say  that  a  total  suppression  of  that  obstacle,  and  the  full 
attainment  of  the  arrest  of  merchant-seamen  deserters,  are 
sine  qua  nons  to  any  arrangement  whatever.    The  humani- 


gold  embroidery,  and  with  mitres  glittering  with  jewels  and  enamel  pic- 
tures— some  bearing  the  sacred  images  and  others  carrying  wax  lights — 
stationed  themselves  at  the  grand  entrance  to  receive  the  Imperial  party. 
Everybodj'  wore  their  richest  clothing : — all  the  ladies  having  long  trains, 
and  all,  except  the  diplomatic  ones,  having  the  Kakoshinnick  brilliantly 
studded  with  diamonds,  or  otherwise  ornamented.  The  bride  wore  a  su- 
perb diadem  of  diamonds  and  on  the  very  top  of  her  head  a  crown  of  the 
same  description.  Her  train  was  an  immense  one  of  crimson  velvet 
deeply  bordered  with  ermine.  Of  the  religious  ceremonies  I  could  un- 
derstand nothing: — they  were  exceedingly  tedious.  There  Avas  an  inter- 
change of  rings  between  the  bride  and  groom  eifected  through  tlie  agencj' 
of  the  Metropolitan :  they  sipped  the  consecrated  wine  from  the  same 
golden  goblet :  and  during  a  part  of  the  proceeding,  for  about  twenty 
minutes  while  the  Metropolitan  was  reading  to  them,  golden  crowns  were 
held  over  the  heads  of  the  couple — over  that  of  the  Grand  Duchess  by  her 
brother  the  Hereditary  Grand  Duke  Alexander,  and  over  that  of  the 
Prince  by  Count  Pahlen.  At  one  time  the  couple  were  led,  with  their 
hands  united  by  the  Metropolitan,  three  times  round  the  altar.  At  the 
close  of  the  ceremony,  the  groom  handed  his  bride  to  the  Emperor,  who 
bade  him  embrace  her,  and  then  followed  the  family  felicitations  and 
kissing.  The  Court  choir  performed  the  great  Te  Deum  most  effectively, 
and  the  cannon  of  the  Fortress,  aided  by  peals  from  all  the  huge  bells  of 
the  innumefable  churches,  sent  forth  a  deafening  yet  exhilarating  uproar. 
After  kissing  a  number  of  the  Priests  in  succession,  the  Imperial  circle 
left  the  Greek  Chapel  and  went  to  where  a  temporary  Roman  Catholic 
Chapel  had  been  constructed  in  some  interior  apartment,  and  the  mar- 
riage ceremony'was  repeated.  "We  got  home  as  expeditiously  as  we  could 
at  about  4  o'clock." 


TO    COL.  MURRAY.  147 

tarian  zeal  which  in  a  case  of  black  and  white  cliscrirai- 
nates  in  favor  of  the  former,  may  accept  compensation 
founded  on  the  prevention  of  "  unpunished  cruelties." 

Parliament  may  drag  its  slow  length  along  for  another 
week. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  287.-TO  COL.  MURKAY. 

London,  August  5,  1859. 

My  dear  Colonel  Murray, — Your  letter  of  the  1st 

June,  enclosing  one  from  Mrs. and  another  addressed 

to  the  Queen,  has  reached  me. 

Instinct  makes  me  always  anxious  to  do  what  any  lady 
seriously  desires  me  to  do.  Independent,  therefore,  of 
some  misplaced  suggestions  made  by  your  fair  friend,  it 
would  and  will  give  me  pleasure  to  accomplish  her  object, 
if  I  discover  a  mode  of  doing  it  compatible  with  funda- 
mental rules.  At  this  Court,  it  is  much  easier  to  man- 
age an  important  national  negotiation  than  to  break 
through  the  gossamery  fencework  with  which  aristocratic 
exclusiveness  has  hedged  in  the  sovereign.  I  would  per- 
sonally prefer  entering  upon  a  complicated  question  of 
peace  or  war,  to  manoeuvring  for  the  mere  autograph  of 
her  Majesty.  The  request,  no  matter  how  meritorious  its- 
purpose,  involves  considerations  of  extreme  delicacy: — 
its  gratification  would  set  a  precedent  of  which  millions 
would  be  eager  to  avail  themselves:  —  the  sale  of  the 
signature  might  be  a  mortifying  one: — and  the  danger 
of  its  misapplication  by  an  unknown  purchaser  is  not 
slight. 

Besides  this,  Mrs. has  transmitted  the  letter  to  the 

Queen  sealed.,  and  has  not  sent  me  a  copy  of  it.  I  cannot 
break  the  seal,  have  no  certainty  of  its  precise  character, 
and  am  therefore  without  the  means  of  giving  to  an  inter- 
mediary officer  of  the  government  or  of  the  Court  the 
indispensable  knowledge  of  what  it  is  he  is  conveying  to 
her  Majesty. 

You  will  do  me  a  favor  by  explaining  to  Mr.  S.  and  to 
Mrs. the  embarrassments  I  feel: — assuring  them  at 


148  TO  MR.  CASS. 

g        the  same  time  that  my  disposition  to  meet  their  wish  is 
sincere  and  will  be  watchful. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  288.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

LoNBON",  August  19,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Queen  goes  to  Scotland  in  the 
course  of  three  or  four  days:  and,  as  her  Majesty  must  be 
accompanied  by  one  or  the  other  of  the  Secretaries  of 
State,  she  takes  with  .her  on  the  present  occasion  our 
"  chef,"  Lord  John  Russell.  He  has  engaged  a  house  in 
the  vicinity  of  Balmoral,  and  may  remain  resident  there 
for  five  or  six  weeks.  I  am  almost  the  only  member  of 
the  diplomatic  corps  who  may  possibly  miss  him,  my  col- 
leagues having  diverged  from  London  to  all  quarters  of 
the  compass. 

Louis  ]!^apoleon  has  certainly  the  art  of  concentrating 
upon  himself  the  universal  gaze.  No  one  else  in  Europe 
is  just  now  visible,  and  everybody  intently  watches  each 
successive  movement.  He  is  another  Blondin,  whose 
figure  is  strongly  delineated  on  the  sky,  advancing  stead- 
ily upon  a  tight  rope,  over  a  boiling  and  unfathomable 
abyss.  At  this  moment,  he  is  doing  the  graceful.  One 
decree  amnesties  all  political  prisoners  under  sentence  or 
^'' l^Toscrits :" — this  opens  France  to  about  two  thousand 
of  her  ejected  sons,  among  them  Changarnier,  Louis 
Blanc,  and  Victor  Hugo.  Another  fiat  enjoins  the 
promptest  execution  of  the  amnesty  in  all  the  colonies, 
to  be  hailed  with  rapture  at  Cayenne.  And  a  third 
launches  a  ray  of  promise  at  the  press,  by  nullifying 
all  the  warnings  that  have  been  given.  At  his  recent 
fete  the  clap-traps  were  innumerable  and  irresistible. 
The  speech  to  the  banqueting  generals  was  short,  frank, 
and  soothing.  Victory  seems  to  have  given  him  confi- 
dence, and  confidence  brings  into  play  the  generosity  of 
his  nature.  Or,  is  it  purely  the  attitudinizing  of  a  skilful 
acrobat? — So  thinks  Louis  Blanc. 

Mr.  Cobden's  two  addresses  to  his  constituents  of  Roch- 
dale maintained  in  undiminished  solidity  his  past  reputa- 


TO  SENATOR   G.  W.  JONES,  BOGOTA.  149 

tiou.  I  presume  I  was  the  only  foreio:;ii  minister  invited 
by  the  Committee  to  his  soiree;  and  it  would  have  given 
me  peculiar  pleasure  to  attend.  As,  however,  I  am  scru- 
pulous of  participating  in  party  politics  here,  it  was  with- 
out regret  that  I  found  myself  obliged  to  be  elsewhere. 
Everybody  praised  these  speeches,  their  force,  originality 
and  tone.  His  explanation  of  his  refusal  to  enter  the 
ministry  is  at  once  so  manly  and  conciliatory  that  many 
regard  it  as  a  sort  of  pledge  to  take  the  place  offered,  some 
six  months  or  a  year  hence.  According  to  conventional 
ideas  in  England,  he  is  too  strong  a  man  on  the  Liberal 
side  to  Be  allowed  to  remain  out  of  the  government. 

The  Great  Eastern  (she  has  resumed  her  original  name, 
because  positively  destined  to  ply  between  this  and  Aus- 
tralia), after  trying  the  suppleness  of  her  joints  by  an  ex- 
perimental trip,  will,  on  ISth  of  September  next,  bridge 
the  ocean  between  the  two  Portlands,  Portland  in  Dor- 
setshire and  Portland  in  Maine.  She  is  open  to  pas- 
sengers, and  Sir  Henry  Holland  and  T  have  calculated 
that  she  may  accomplish  the  transit  in  five  days.  What 
if  she  do!  an  Atlantic  voyage  in  120  hours! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  289 -TO  SENATOK  6.  W.  JONES,  BOGOTA. 

London,  August  27,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Immediately  on  the  receipt  of  your 
letter,  I  took  the  necessary  steps  to  enable  you  to  have  by 
return  packet,  the  Daih/  Times  and  the  Illustrated  News. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  therefore  that  you  will  get  them  at  the 
time  you  get  this.  The  subscription,  as  you  directed,  was 
made  for  one  year :  and  finding  payment  in  advance  in- 
dispensable, rather  than  allow  you  to  be  disappointed  I 
sent  the  money.     Copies  of  the  papers  are  enclosed. 

The  real  state  of  things  in  Europe  is  never  what  it  super- 
ficially appears  to  be.  The  press  is  wise  to  a  certain 
extent,  and  is  always  striving  to  seem  wiser : — but  the 
select  few  who  wield  the  powers  of  nations  cover  their  de- 
signs in  impenetrable  mystery,  which  is  only  broken  by 
sudden  action.     Hence  it  is  dangerous  to  speculate  as  you 


150  TO  MR.  GILPIN. 

wish  me  to.  The  Zurich  Conference  proceeds  slowly : — it  is 
scarcely  across  the  threshold.  A  Congress  is  yet  uncertain, 
though  more  likely  than  it  was  a  month  ago.  The  Peace 
of  Villafranca  adds  nothing  to  the  security  of  this  countrj^ ; 
far,  very  far  otherwise.  She  steadily  advances  in  arma- 
ment and  apprehension  : — so  much  so,  that  she  is  hazard- 
ing her  polity  by  training  her  yeomanry  to  the  use  of  the 
rifle. 

I  am  just  now  on  a  visit  to  Brighton,  whose  attractions 
are  too  great  for  much  letter-writing. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  290.-TO  ME.  GILPIN. 

Brighton,  August  29,  1859. 

My  dear  Mr.  Gilpin, — The  manner  in  which  I  have 
had  your  silence  accounted  for  worries  me  a  good  deal. 
I  am  told  that  you  are  not  well,  and  have  been  ailing  for 
some  time.  If  this  be  mistaken  rumor,  pray  let  me  hear 
so,  as  soon  as  you  can  and  as  shortly  as  you  please. 

London  is  a  horrid  hole  in  hot  seasons.  The  Thames, 
the  Serpentine,  the  sewers,  the  crowd,  the  dust,  are  all 
horrid.  So,  w^e  have  escaped,  and  taken  a  house  here  for 
a  month : — close  to  the  sea  on  the  Marine  Parade,  with  a 
balcony  whence  we  look  across  the  Atlantic  up  to  the 
corner  of  Spruce  and  11th  Streets.  I  must  have  been 
made  sensitive  to  atmospherical  conditions  by  continued 
stay  in  the  murky  Babylon  sixty  miles  off",  for  I  never 
before  noticed  such  purity  and  perfection  of  air  as  we  are 
breathing.  Merely  to  inhale  it  seems  to  satisfy  us  all : — 
and,  although  nearly  a  week  since  we  came,  we  have  felt 
no  inclination  to  do  the  sights  of  the  city,  beyond  the 
Cliff,  the  Pavilion,  and  the  Pier.  As  to  company,  catch 
us  at  it! 

I  can't  get  a  word  from  home  about  politics,  although 
really  feeling  my  habitual  interest  in  the  customary 
tangle.  The  democratic  embroglio  seems  to  be  eschewed 
as  a  disagreeable  topic,  which  one's  friends  erroneously 
suppose  I  can't  want  to  hear  about.  Don't  they  know 
that  distance  blends  and  softens  coloring?    What  seems 


TO  MR.  GILPIN.  151 

to  shock  them,  as  for  instance  Wise's  letter  to  Donnelly, 
creates  with  me  only  a  smile  at  its  naivete!  Mr.  Everett 
sent  me  that  little  epistle,  as  if  he  regarded  it  as  almost 
the  crack  of  our  doom :  I  read  it,  and,  strange  to  say, 
laughed  at  so  characteristic  a  specimen  of  eccentricity  at 
full  gallop. 

But  if  people  won't  indite  politics  to  me,  how  dare  I 
venture  on  politics  to  them  ?  Simply  because  what  is  exotic 
is  relished  in  every  locality.  Well!  Europe  is  lulling  at 
this  moment.  Crowns  are  perplexed  by  efforts  to  rectify 
the  blunders  they  have  been  committing.  They  can't 
bear  to  be  sneered  at  for  incompetency  and  rashness,  and 
so  they  hugger-mugger  at  Zurich  to  put  things  to  rights. 
Will  they  succeed?  Yes,  if  Plon-Flon  be  planted  in 
Tuscany: — yes,  if  the  so-called  Italian  Washington, 
Garibaldi,  be  strong  enough  to  inaugurate  the  Confeder- 
ation and  upset  the  Pope: — yes,  if  the  Iron  Crown, 
filched  from  Milan  and  locked  up  in  Vienna,  be  sent  in  a 
satin  reticule  worked  with  golden  bees,  to  the  Charle- 
magne bathing  at  St.  Sauveur : — yes,  if  Victor  Emmanuel, 
dropping  the  victor  and  assuming  the  chatferer,  will 
agree  to  pay  more  gold  than  his  people  have  yet  paid 
blood,  for  Lombardy: — and  finally,  which  ought  to  be 
firstly,  yes,  if  Lord  Palmerston  will  consent,  which  he 
won't,  to  a  Congress  without  his  condition  precedent. 
Otherwise  no,  no,  no. 

Something  like  a  squadron  of  cavalry  has  just  gone  by, 
— here  on  the  brink  of  the  ocean! — with  carbines  under 
arm ! !  Take  that  as  an  indication  of  the  "  English 
Craze"  at  present  raging  about  invasion  and  armament. 
They  can't  sleep  quietly  for  Cherbourg,  looking  as  if 
ready  to  vent  itself  in  this  direction,  or  Lille,  looking  as 
if  ready  to  brush  away  our  Uncle  Leopold. 

General  respects  and  regards  to  Mrs.  G. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


152  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  291 -TO  MK.  OASS. 


Brighton,  September  1,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — You  must  not  suppose  me  slow  or  dull 
as  to  the  main  topic  of  the  despatch  to-day.  I  think  of 
nothing  else,  feel  all  the  urgency  of  the  case,  and  will  omit 
nothing.  If  professions  mean  anything,  an  abundance  of 
steam  has  been  let  on  to  accelerate  the  engine  in  reaching 
every  one  of  the  stations  in  quick  succession — all,  in  the 
course  of  two  or  three  months.  But,  while  from  this 
point  a  brisk  readiness  may  shew  itself,  there  can  cer- 
tainly be  nothing  expected  from  the  Isthmus  but  delay, 
prevarication,  and  petulance.  Without  fancying  to  exist 
a  profligate  disregard  of  good  faith  and  truth,  the  fault  is 
not  here,  but  there. 

Her  Majesty  took  with  her  to  Balmoral,  the  day  before 
yesterday,  as  the  Secretary  of  State  "in  waiting,"  not  Lord 
John  Russell,  but  Sir  George  Grey.  This  change  of  pro- 
gramme was  simultaneous  with  a  sudden  summons  ad- 
dressed to  all  the  scattered  cabinet  for  a  meeting  in 
Downing  Street: — and  they  came  rattling  from  every 
quarter  of  the  compass.  As  Polonius  would  say,  put  that 
and  that  together  and  it  may  not  be  ditficult  to  surmise 
that  "  something's  in  the  wind."  What  that  something 
may  really  be ;  whether  the  belligerent  aspect  of  an 
increase  of  French  force  at  Lille,  designed  to  overawe 
and  prevent  the  Belgic  fortifications  at  Antwerp,  or  the 
emergency  created  by  the  determination  of  a  large  body 
of  English  soldiers  not  to  re-enlist  but  to  return  home 
from  India,  or  the  new  aspect  of  the  Napoleonic  policy  as 
regards  the  banished  dukes  in  Italy,  or  the  still  meditated 
Congress,  nobody  can  tell.  The  Conference  at  Zurich 
engages  little  attention: — seeming  to  divide  its  time  be- 
tween apoplexy  (Count  Colloredo)  and  waiting  for  instruc- 
tions. 

Have  you  ever  been  at  Brighton?  I  am  here  for  sev- 
eral weeks,  owing  to  the  adoption  of  some  new  system  of 
drainage  in  London  which  imposes  the  necessity  of  repul- 
sive repairs  in  my  quarters.  The  rapidity  of  travel  on  the 
railway  here,  the  regular  express  train  darting  at  the  rate 
of  sixty  miles  an  hour,  puts  me  as  near  to  the  Foreign 


TO  PROFESSOR  BACHE.  153 

Office  as  Mr.  Bodisco  or  Mr.  Crampton  was  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  State,  when  residing  on  the  hills  of  Georgetown. 
Judged  by  difference  of  atmosphere,  however,  I  am  a 
thousand  leagues  away : — a  boundless-  sea,  a  dazzling  sky, 
a  clear,  pure,  and  bracing  air,  and  endless  lines  of  white 
palaces  surmounting  chalky  cliffs;  such  are  the  features 
of  Brighton. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 

P.S. — By  a  memorandum  just  received,  I  find  that  the 
presence  of  Sir  George  Grey  with  the  Queen  during  her 
journey  to  Scotland  misled  me,  when  I  concluded  that  he 
had  been  substituted  for  Lord  John  Russell.  The  Foreign 
Secretary,  with  his  family,  left  London  two  days  ago  for 
Abergeldie  Castle,  assigned  by  her  Majesty  as  their  resi- 
dence while  she  remains  at  Balmoral.  Before  his  lord- 
ship's return,  ample  time  will  elapse  to  enable  me  to  hear 
again  from  you  as  to  Wyke  and  Central  America. 


No.  292.-T0  PROPESSOE  BAOHE. 

Brighton,  September  5,  1859. 

My  dear  Professor, — Your  note,  accompanied  by  the 
letter  of  Mr.  G.  W.  Blunt  respecting  Lights  on  the 
Bahamas,  reached  me  a  day  or  two  ago.  I  have  been 
here  ten  days,  and  intend  staying  two  weeks  morre,  in 
order  to  enable  my  landlord  to  make  some  offensive  re- 
pairs as  to  drainage  and  painting.  I  mention  this  to  ex- 
plain why,  at  a  distance  from  records,  I  don't  give,  in 
what  I  am  going  to  say,  exact  dates  and  results. 

By  enquiry  at  the  Treasury  Department  you  will  be 
able  to  obtain  full  information  .as  to  the  extent  to  which 
this  government  deems  it  expedient  to  go  in  constructing 
Light-houses  on  the  Bahama  Islands.  And  should  ad- 
ditional ones  be  called  for,  you  will  find  the  course  here- 
tofore taken  to  have  been  this: — Mr.  Guthrie  during  the 
summer  of  '56  wrote  to  me  to  see  whether  I  could  get 
more  Lights  put  up  by  the  government,  and  if  not,  whether 
I  could  induce  them  to  authorize  the  United  States  to 
build  them.     I  begged  him  to  furnish  me  with  the  evi- 


154  TO  MR.  CASS. 

dence  upon  which  he  thought  the  Lights  necessary  and  at 
what  points.  He  sent  me  a  Report  from  the  Light-house 
Board,  and  a  very  admirable  and  large  manuscript  chart: 
on  the  strength  of  these,  I  went  to  work.  After  transmit- 
ting all  the  ideas  and  explanations  in  my  power  in  writing, 
I  had  several  conversations  with  Lord  Stanley  of  Alderley, 
and  other  members  of  the  Board  of  Trade,  on  the  sub- 
ject. If  I  remember  aright,  they  took  a  long  time  to  de- 
liberate, and  finally  they  expressed  to  me,  through  the 
Foreign  Office,  the  opinion  that  the  Lights  already  up 
were  sufficient,  and  that  those  suggested  by  our  Board 
could  really  be  of  no  aid  to  navigation.  All  this  will,  I 
take  for  granted,  be  on  file  in  the  Treasury  Depart- 
ment:— certainly,  my  correspondence  with  Governor 
Marcy  cannot  but  indicate  every  step  taken. 

If  a  renewed  effi^rt  be  thought  expedient,  let  it  begin 
by  such  measures  in  the  Light-house  Board  as  will  de- 
velope  the  positive  want ;  then  a  representation  to  Mr. 
Cobb;  then  an  application  by  him  to  the  Secretary  of 
State  requesting  him  to  direct  my  exertions  to  the  attain- 
ment of  the  desired  objects. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  293.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

London,  September  15,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — It  would  seem  that  on  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic  we  are  about  entering  upon  a  fresh  score  of  im- 
portant public  events. 

1.  The  tangled  condition  of  the  Italian  question  is  already 
regarded  as  incapable  of  solution  except  by  the  sword. 
Since  the  Monitcur  avowed  Napoleon's  altered  attitude  as 
to  the  Duchies,  nothing  but  hasty  belligerent  action  by 
either  the  French  or  Austrian  forces  lingering  in  Lom- 
bardy,  is  looked  for  as  a  result  of  the  Imperial  conjunc- 
tion at  Arenenberg.  A  step  not  the  less  willingly  made, 
perhaps,  because  it  slightly  promises  to  draw  this  govern- 
ment out  of  their  entrenchment  of  neutrality  and  non- 
intervention. 

2.  The  attempt  of  the  allied  fleet  in  China  to  force  a 


..       TO  MR.  CASS.  155 

pathway  to  Pekin  for  their  ambassadors  has  been  unex- 
pectedly baffled  by  an  army  of  Mongols  at  the  Taku 
forts.  Four  hundred  and  seventy-eight  of  the  peremptory 
assailants  were  killed  and  wounded,  among  them  sixteen 
officers,  including  the  British  Admiral  (Hope)  and  two 
captains.  Three  vessels  of  war  were  sunk,  and  the  squad- 
ron retreated  to  Shanghai !  Of  course  this  news,  which 
reached  here  by  telegram  from  thesecretary  of  the  British 
minister  in  China,  via  Constantinople  and  Alexandria,  on 
the  12th  instant,  has  caused  great  solicitude  and  excite- 
ment. The  feeling  is  none  the  less  sharp  because  the  story 
goes  that  our  envoy,  Mr.  Ward,  politely  characterized  as 
the  "  submissive  rejmblican,''  has  quietly  found  his  way  to 
the  capital  and  been  cordially  welcomed.  I  think  Mr.  lieed 
foresaw  the  likelihood  of  these  events,  as  consequences  of 
too  harsh  and  dictatorial  a  manner.  The  fiery  cross  is,  of 
course,  rapidly  circulating,  and  the  croaking  ravens  of  the 
press  all  "bellow  for  revenge."  Observe,  that  the  Chi- 
nese objected,  not  to  the  ambassadors,  but  to  their  naval 
and  military  escort;  a  distinction  vrith  great  ditference. 

3.  The  aspect  of  India  too  is  inauspicious  and  sullen. 
Financial  matters  get  worse  and  worse.  The  English 
soldiers  in  Bengal,  to  the  number  of  eight  or  ten  thousand, 
disregarding  the  remonstrances  of  Lord  Clyde,  insist  upon 
discharge,  and  are  returning  home.  Rebels  are  still  on 
foot,  fighting  the  Sikhs  in  Nepaul.  It  is  curious  as  a  po- 
litical coincidence,  that  just  at  this  moment  an  emissary, 
M.  de  Sercy  (was  he  not  once  in  Washington  ?),  of  the  de- 
voted ally,  has  come  back  from  a  thorough  exploration  of 
Hindostan,  and  has  officially  reported  to  his  superior, 
Count  Walewski,  that  everything  there  threatens  confu- 
sion and  ruin  ! 

Our  friends  in  Portland,  remembering  the  "frantic 
follies"  incident  to  the  landing  of  the  western  end  of  the 
Atlantic  Cable,  must  be  cautious  in  preparing  a  glorifica- 
tion on  the  coming  of  the  Great  Eastern.  Her  progress 
down  the  Channel  was  partially  interrupted,  opposite  the 
town  of  Hastings,  by  the  tremendous  and  murderous  ex- 
plosion of  one  of  her  water-funnels,  killing  by  scalding 
some  seven  or  eight  of  her  engineers,  and,  without  seri- 
ously afi^ecting  the  body  of  the  huge  vessel,  knocking 
saloons  and  staterooms  into  such  pi  as  must  occasion  a 
month  or  more's  delay  for  repair.     The  stock  of  the  com- 


156  TO  MR.  CASS.       „ 

pany  has  gone  up  because  the  ship  didn't  go  down : — a 
strong  illustration  of  how  to  make  the  best  of  a  bad  bar- 
gain. 

Lord  John  Russell  continues  in  Scotland,  and  may  not 
be  in  Downing  Street  for  a  month  to  come. 

You  have  noticed  that  Hospodar  Couza  has  been  per- 
mitted by  the  Conference  at  Paris  to  retain  his  two  politi- 
cal brides,  Moldavia  and  Wallachia,  provided  he  keeps 
them  apart  from  one  another.  The  federative  principle 
is  making  its  way. 

In  Russia,  the  generous  Czar  is  countenancing  the  crea- 
tion of  elective  municipalities,  with  powers  of  local  govern- 
ment. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  294-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  September  23,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Sentinel  aloft  must  have  smiled 
at  the  superfluous  philanthropy  which  wasted  our  blood 
and  treasure  in  searching  for  Sir  John  Franklin.  He  and 
his  associates  were  all  dead  before  we  resolved  to  share  in 
the  scientific  honor  of  restoring  them  to  their  country. 
The  officer  sent  out  by  Lady  Franklin  in  the  .screw  vessel 
the  Fox,  F.  L.  McClintock,  has  returned  with  manuscripts 
and  relics,  found  in  the  undisturbed  desolation  of  Arctic 
cold,  which  disclose  the  sad  secret.  The  gallant  explorer 
perished  more  than  twelve  years  ago,  on  the  11th  of  June, 
1847.  The  details  of  this  successful  discovery  are  exceed- 
ingly interesting,  minute,  and  authentic. 

Public  sentiment  is  somewhat  inflamed  by  the  imper- 
fect accounts  we  have  received  of  General  Harney's  pro- 
ceeding at  the  islet  of  San  Juan,  and  the  prospect  of  colli- 
sion arising  out  of  Governor  Douglas',  so-called,  prompt 
and  judicious  course  to  substitute  the  Royal  standard  for 
the  Stars  and  Stripes.  The  provincial  chief  in  the  far 
northwest  seems  to  have  taken  a  leaf  out  of  the  book  of 
Admiral  Hope  in  the  extreme  east,  and,  without  asking 
explanations  or  purposes,  resolves  to  cut  the  matter  short 
by  Sappers  and  Miners.     It  is  possible  that  the  General 


TO  MR.  CASS.  157 

may  Lave  been  precipitate,  and,  if  so,  the  Governor  should 
have  abstained  from  following  a  bad  example.  Public 
agents,  except  in  cases  of  necessity,  should  await  their  cue 
from  their  superiors,  and  not,  defensively  or  offensively, 
assume  to  involve  two  nations  in  war.  Patience  is  a  great 
power,  and  never  fails  to  strengthen  the  party  that  exer- 
cises it. 

General  Duff  Green  was  kind  enou2:h,  on  reachino;  Eno;- 
land,  to  run  down  to  Brighton,  and  to  place  in  my  hands 
his  several  commendatory  credentials.  I  detained  him  tor 
dinner,  and  we  were  all  much  gratified  with  his  flourish- 
ing accounts  of  the  Washington  Panorama.  I  am  yet  a 
little  at  fault  in  forming  a  practical  conception  of  what  he 
aims  at  by  his  visit,  if  it  be  more  than  to  obtain  the  co- 
operation of  capitalists  in  building  his  projected  railway 
across  Texas.  His  views  as  to  the  political  relations  of 
the  Quited  States,  England,  and  Mexico,  are  broad,  com- 
prehensive, and  sound:  and  as  he  naturally  likes  to  incul- 
cate them,  he  shall  have  all  the  opportunities  among  the 
public  men  here  I  can  fairly  give  him.  At  the  moment, 
however,  in  the  slang  phrase,  nobody  is  in  London,  and 
that  nobody  will  be  in  London  for  some  weeks  to  come. 

Two  ninety-two  gun  steamers  have  been  ordered  by  the 
Admiralty  to  prepare  for  sea:  probably  as  members  of  the 
contemplated  Anglo-Gallicau  expedition  to  revisit  the 
Taku  forts  at  the  mouth  of  the  Peiho : — possibly,  to  see 
how  the  Sappers  and  Miners  get  on  in  San  Juan. 

Zurich  still  fizzles  slowly.  Arenenberg  postponed.  A 
Congress  getting  put  aside,  the  loadstone  is  at  Biarritz, 
and  thither  diplomats  of  all  sorts  are  thronging  from  every 
European  Court.  The  Belgian  monarch  returns  from  the 
Imperial  hug,  with  the  conviction  that  he  has  bagged  an 
Italian  kingdom  for  his  younger  son.  ^sop's  Lion  hold- 
ing his  levee  is  magnificently  revived,  with  a  new  corps 
of  performers  and  fresh  decorations. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


158  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  295.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  September  30,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Governor  Douglas  of  Vancouver  has 
sent  to  London  an  explanatory  and  accusatory  messenger, 
Col.  J.  S.  Hawkins.  This  "gallant"  officer,  who  reached 
here  on  the  27th  instant,  went  straight  to  the  Foreign 
.Office  and  "transacted  business."  A  sj'stematic  effi3rt  to 
pla(?e  General  Harney  in  the  category  of  "American  fili- 
busters" and  to  put  our  government  in  the  wrong  as  to 
the  channel  or  Canal  de  Haro,  is  of  course  just  now  the 
outburst  of  newspaper  loyalty  and  patriotism.  In  deploy- 
ing the  argument  there  is  manifest  ignorance  or  misrepre- 
sentation:— take  as  illustration  that  they  sa3^ 

1.  We  never  made  claim  till  gold  was  found  on  Frazer's 
River! — a  naked  untruth. 

2.  The  island  is  of  no  use  to  us! — yet  it  lies  south  of 
49°  and  fronts  our  coast  its  whole  length. 

3.  It  is  in  the  track  of  British  intercourse  with  Van- 
couver! not  unless  that  intercourse  pass  through  admitted 
American  territory. 

4.  Starting  from  a  point  on  the  49th  degree,  we  can't 
reach  the  Canal  de  Haro  by  sailing  "southerly"  as  the 
treaty  directs! — most  assuredly  we  can  : — "southerly"  is 
not  equivalent  to  "due  south,"  but  on  the  contrary  im- 
plies a  partial  admixture  of  easting  or  westing:  and  it  is 
obvious  to  inspection  that  to  proceed  from  the  given  point 
to  Rosario  Strait  much  more  easting  has  to  be  taken  than 
need  be  taken  of  westing  to  get  to  the  Canal  de  Haro. 

5.  At  the  date  of  the  treaty,  no  "  Channel"  navigated 
or  known,  but  that  of  Rosario !  Untrue  again : — the  name 
Haro  is  itself  disproof  given  by  one  of  its  oldest  and  ear- 
liest, if  not  its  very  first,  navigator. 

I  hope  General  Harney  will  disclose  good  cause  for  his 
proceeding: — for  if  he  do,  San  Juan  is  too  clearly  ours  to 
be  allowed  again  to  go  adrift. 

Lord  John  Russell,  though  a  veteran  and  able  states- 
man, has  perhaps  rarely  if  ever  visited  Scotland  before  the 
present  season: — for  he  has  just  been  admitted  to  the 
Freedom  of  the  City  of  Aberdeen. 

General  Green  is  now,  as  always,  sanguine  of  success  in 


TO  MR.  CASS.  159 

his  projects:  what  they  are  exactly  I  do  not  know.  He 
has  seen  and  indoctrinated  Mr.  Cobden  and  others  of  that 
ilk:  and  your  letter  emboldened  me  to  give  him  personal 
notes  of  introduction  to  Lords  Palmerston  and  John  Rus- 
sell. He  talks  of  returning  to  you  by  the  steamer  of  the 
8th  of  October,  but  he  will  probably  wait  for  the  15th. 

Regimentals  are  your  only  wear  for  Europe.  The  tend- 
ency to  enlarge  military  establishments,  as  siiie  qua  nons 
of  safety,  is  shewing  itself  almost  everywhere  among  the 
minor  States  of  Germany.  Tlie  Continent,  with  unim- 
portant exceptions,  is  covered  with  an  agglomeration  of 
camps.     "Poor  human  nature  !"  sighed  Jacob  Faithful. 

^N^othing  more  burlesque  than  the  laborious  idleness  and 
unproductiveness  of  the  "  three  men  of  Gotham  who  went 
to  sea  in  a  bowl  "  at  Zurich  !  They  are  about  to  make  six 
bows  to  each  other,  and  leave  the  future  to  a  Congress 
which  won't  meet.  Some  gloomy  quidnuncs  anticipate 
an  Austrian  movement  in  Italy  to  restore  the  Dukes;  Na- 
poleon leaving  the  struggle  to  Victor  Emmanuel  and  Gari- 
baldi. The  whole  conduct  of  Central  Italy  has  been  so 
admirable  that  Lord  John  Russell  openly  avowed  at  Ed- 
inburgh that  the  ministry  were  with  it.  Perhaps  a  compro- 
mise upon  KingPlon-Plon,  with  indemnity  to  the  excluded 
princes,  may  be  the  destination  to  which  public  opinion 
is  agreed  to  be  led. 

The  press  looks  at  last  in  France  fierce  and  nearlj'  unani- 
mous for  law  and  legal  trial  against  administrative  caprice 
in  warning  and  controlling  its  utterances.  The  minister, 
Due  de  Padoue,  or  as  he  has  been  nicknamed,  the  Duke  of 
Padlock,  provoked  great  excitement  by  his  measures; 
and  now  there  are  grave  thinkers  on  this  side  of  the 
Channel  who  predict  that  Bonaparte  will  soon  follow  in 
the  footsteps  of  Charles  the  Tenth  and  Louis  Philippe! 
Tell  that  to  the  marines.  A  devoted  arm}'  of  four  hun- 
dred thousand  men,  with  a  great  name  at  their  head,  just 
reburnished  by  Magenta  and  Solferino,  are  not  readily 
put  to  ilight  by  printer's  blacking  balls  and  types.  There 
must  be  subsisting  discontent  to  work  upon. 

The  Turks  say  that  Schamyl  was  bought  not  beaten,  that 
gold  corrupted  all  his  followers,  except  the  few  with  whom 
he  took  refuge  in  Gounib,  a  fortress  which  was  esteemed 
to  be  impregnable.     He  bore  himself  sternly  when  cap-' 
tured: — was  a  bigoted  Mohammedan  fatalist:  indulged  in 


160  TO  MR.  CASS. 

pretensions  to  supernatural  colloquies  with  the  Prophet : — 
he  was  brave,  patriotic,  and  national,  sometimes  cruel : — 
how  will  he  fare  in  St.  Petersburg  ? — probably  better  than 
the  prisoner  of  St.  Helena. 

Mr.  Ward  has  found  his  way  to  Pekin,  though  after  a 
fashion  somewhat  comical.  It  may  be  that  what  appears 
to  us  ludicrous  and  derogatory  was  esteemed  by  the 
Celestial  masters  of  ceremonies  as  the  ne  ])lus  ultra  of 
civility  and  etiquette  to  which  they  could  go  compatibly 
with  their  usages.  Even  the  western  barbarians  would 
regard  it  as  an  act  of  unusual  courtesy  if  an  arriving 
Envoy  were  facilitated  to  the  seat  of  government  by  an 
express  train  or  a  coach  and  four,  with  an  escort  of  pur- 
veyors, cooks,  and  valets.  The  floating  or  oxen-dragged 
chamber  of  the  Chinese  looks  like  their  substitute  for  all 
this.  I  very  much  doubt  its  being  meant  as  rude  inso- 
lence. Very  possibly  French  and  English  editors  will  so 
represent  it: — but  they  are  naturally  nettled  at  Mr.  Ward's 
success,  and  would  not  be  unwilling  to  provoke  us  into 
joining  the  new  military  enterprise  for  vengeance.  I  send 
a  slip  of  what  the  Paris  Pays  reports  upon  the  subject. 

Your  highly  recommended  friend  the  ship  builder, 
Daniel  McKay,  has  been  warmly  welcomed  here.  It  gave 
me  pleasure  to  obtain  for  him  from  the  Admiralty  (as  I 
immediatel}'  did  notwithstanding  Lord  John  Russell's 
absence)  the  run  of  the  dock-yards  and  naval  establish- 
ments. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


'    No.  296.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  October  14,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  Sovereigns  of  the  French  returned 
to  their  capital  from  Biarritz  and  Bordeaux  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  day  before  yesterday.  In  adverting  to 
Italy's  future  he  still  restricts  his  speech  to  dubious 
oracular  utterances.  It  would  seem  as  if  these  and  the 
long-drawn-out  futilities  at  Zurich  owe  their  origin  to  a 
reactionary  policy,  which  for  its  excuse  wants  and  waits 
such  outbreaks  as  butchered   Colonel  Aviti  at  Parma. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  161 

The  Imperial  reply  to  the  Archbishop  is  double:  devotion 
to  the  Pope,  and  his  abandonment  by  the  withdrawal  of 
French  forces  from  Rome : — two  pills,  one-  opiate  and 
soothing,  the  other  inflammatory  and  alterative.  On  dit 
that  a  huge  bolus  is  compounding  for  Victor  Emmanuel 
in  the  form  of  a  summons  to  foot  the  bill  of  his  kins- 
man and  ally  for  the  expenses  of  the  recent  war: — say 
250,000,000  of  francs:  —  and  this,  it  is  expected,  will 
eventuate  in  a  compulsory  compromise  ceding  Savoy. 

The  Local  Science  Association — not  socialists,  remem- 
ber, oh!  by  no  means — are  mimicking  the  Institute  this 
year  at  Bradford,  in  the  "West  Riding  of  York.  Lord 
Shaftesbury  presides,  recapitulates,  and  preaches :  Lord 
Brougham  thunders  in  ferocious  eloquence  against 
Bribery  and  Bonaparte :  and  there  is  a  perfect  flood  of 
philosophers,  each  holding  in  his  hand  a  homoeopathic 
dose  of  science  which  he  complacently  regards  as  a 
panacea  for  some  one  or  other  of  life's  evils.  Onward, 
gentlemen!  the  Augean  stable  is  large  and  crammed 
with  filth,  but  each  of  your  countless  crowd  is  a  self- 
esteemed  Hercules!  Eureka,  Eureka!  Victor  Hugo's 
new  poem,  at  present  in  two,  but  designed  hereafter  to  be 
extended  six  octavos  more,  '■'■La  Legende  des  Siecles,"  has 
prophesied  the  end  of  all  this  labor  after  perfection,  and 
says  that  man  7nust  invade  the  skies  through  clouds  and 
stars ! — certainly,  and  the  Association,  during  its  short 
existence  of  three  years,  has  already  ballooned  us  into 
the  former. 

Some  strange,  discredited  but  adhesive,  rumors  are  just 
now  afloat,  chilling  the  funds  somewhat.  Rome  has 
risen  into  revolution: — how  can  that  be  while  Guyon  is 
still  there?  The  French  and  English  squadrons  oflT 
Morocco  have  had  a  conflict: — all  circumstances  con- 
sidered, se  non  e  vera,  e  hen  trovato.  Baron  de  Bourqueney 
has  gone  off  from  Zurich  in  a  laugh  ; — very  natural,  there- 
fore likely  to  be  true. 

I  am  afraid  that  our  lively  countrymen  at  Portland 
will  not  have  a  chance  this  year  to  hail  the  Leviathan's 
advent.  Little  annoying  accidents  succeed  each  other 
almost  as  often  as  the  monster  moves ;  and  there  appears 
to  be  in  the  hold  of  the  big  ship,  as  in  the  Christian 
Church,  an  irreconcilable  conflict  between  fate  and  free 
will,  which  disturbs  her  management.     She  has  had  her 

VOL.  II. — 11 


162  TO  LORD  NAPIER. 

trial  trip,  was  pushed  to  seventeen  miles  an  hour,  and  re- 
sumed her  tremendous  anchorage,  waiting  for  a  visit  from 
the  Queen : — hut,  she  pitched  and  rolled,  while  meeting 
or  siding  the  waves,  far  more  than  exact  mathematicians 
had  calculated  or  foretold.     Nimporte ! — she's  a  wonder. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  297.-T0  LOED  NAPIEE. 

London,  October  19,  1859. 

My  dear  Lord  Napier, — Your  kind  note  of  the  30th 
ult.  and  the  package  for  Mrs.  E.  were  received  after  the 
lapse  of  several  days: — the  latter  crossed  the  Atlantic  in 
the  Bag  by  the  Europa  of  the  8th  instant.  Let  me  assure 
you  that  one  of  the  most  valued  sources  of  permanent 
gratification  which  I  have  had  the  good  fortune  to  meet 
with  in  my  wanderings  on  the  arid  desert  of  diplomacy 
has  been  the  acquaintance  made  with  yourself  and  Lady 
I^apier.  This  is  so  true,  that  I  am  wondering  at  the  time 
which  has  elapsed  without  my  answering  your  letter : — 
but  perceive  how  exactingly  General  Cass  has  dealt 
with  me. 

There  is  no  wisdom  in  the  world: — it  is  a  myth  which 
seems  possible  but  is  never  met  with.  Certainly  it  was 
unwise  in  the  two  governments  to  neglect  their  boundary : 
—  certainly  unwise  in  Harney  to  plant  his  Picket  in  a 
neutral  enclosure :  and  nothing  can  transcend  the  wwwis- 
dom  with  which  the  newspapers,  by  taunts,  sneers,  and 
invective,  fret  and  exasperate  the  wound  inflicted  upon 
the  public  sentiment  of  both  countries.  The  President 
has  rapped  the  general  over  the  knuckles,  has  sent  Scott 
to  put  an  extinguisher  ur)on  him,  and  has  openly  declined 
to  order  any  additional  naval  force  to  that  distant  "jump- 
ing-ofl' place:"  a  course  which  you  will  agree  with  me  in 
considering  somewhat  less  unwise  than  the  menacing  one 
of  hurrying  ofl:'  several  screw  J^l's  and  a  parade  of  more 
sappers  and  miners.     This  last  is  a  sad  error. 

The  Yankees  are  taking  the  matter  coolly : — unanimous 
in  disapproving  Harney,  and  unanimous  in  believing 
the  islet  theirs.     How  the  question  may,  at  the  coming 


TO  MR.  CASS.  163 

session  of  Congress,  be  harangued  into  the  Presidential 
canvass,  you  have  seen  enough  to  imagine.  Your  friends 
Seward  and  Douglas  will  think  nothing  said  while  aught 
remains  to  say,  in  carpentering  a  new  plank  for  their  re- 
spective platforms. 

Mr.  Everett  cannot  leave  home.  He  has  too  many 
engagements  as  a  writer  and  lecturer.  His  son  came 
over  and  has  gone  to  Cambridge. 

Pray  make  my  respectful  regards  acceptable  to  Lady 
Napier, 

And  believe  me. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  298.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  October  28,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir,  —  Maps  are  statements,  oculis  submissi 
fdelihas  ;  producing  more  permanent  impression  than  mere 
words.  Hence  it  is  that,  to  afiect  the  general  mind,  the 
London  shops  and  their  windows  are  being  crowded  with 
charts  of  the  islands  and  channels  between  Vancouver 
and  the  Continent,  purporting  to  delineate  the  boundary 
as  provided  in  the  Treaty  of  '46  by  a  deep  "?W  line" 
starting  from  a  point  in  the  Gulf  of  Georgia  and  running 
with  pictorial  emphasis  down  Rosario  Strait.  Mr.  "Web- 
ster in  '42  allowed  his  technical  tendencies  to  conjure  up 
difficulties  asj-egards  a  more  ancient  '■^red  lijie:" — it  was 
cunningly  po-pohed  by  Lord  Ashburton,  when  at  the  very 
moment  there  could  be  seen,  in  one  of  the  governmental 
offices  here,  a  carefully  neglected  map  which  had  de- 
scended from  the  royal  negotiators  of '83,  whose  ^^  red  line" 
conclusively  sustained  the  one  rather  punctiliously  aban- 
doned by  our  great  lawyer.  Mr.  Webster  erred  on  the 
right  side,  and  nobly  declined  resting  his  case  on  what  he 
had  not  proof  to  shew  might  not  be  a  "  suggestio  falsi :" — but 
this  highly  moral  monarchy  then  took,  and  has  ever  since 
kept,  the  fruits  of  an  admitted  ^^suppressio  veri.''  Ask  them 
if  the  wrong  ought  not  to  be  remedied,  and  what  answer 
will  you  get?  a  shrug  and  a  chuckle.  By-and-by,  we 
shall  be  appalled  by  the  resurrection  of  some  long  buried 


164  TO  MR.  CASS. 

map  of  Vancouver's,  on  which  the  '•^red  line"  will  speak, 
as  a  voice  from  the  grave,  in  corroboration  of  those  now 
addressing  the  public  eye.  I  see  by  an  extract  of  a  letter 
from  some  Washington  correspondent,  in  the  Times  of 
this  morning,  that  you  have  replied  to  the  extraordinary 
instructions  given  on  the  subject  of  San  Juan  by  Lord 
John  to  Lord  Lyons  before  any  intimation  of  General 
Harney's  proceeding  had  crossed  the  Atlantic.  My  soli- 
citude to  see  this  reply  is  extreme,  and  I  hope  to  receive 
it  by  the  steamer  due  on  Sunday  or  Monday  next. 

Mr.  Lesseps,  with  his  Suez  scheme,  lingers  longer  in 
the  public  gaze  than  M.  Belly  with  his  Nicaraguan.  The 
latter  gentleman  seems  to  have  fallen  like  the  stick  of  a 
rocket: — but  the  Emperor  ISTapoleon  relieves  the  former 
from  the  averted  gesture  of  the  Sultan,  pats  him  cheer- 
ingly  on  the  back,  and  inculcates  patience.  When  the 
Mediterranean  becomes  a  French  lake,  which  the  alliance 
with  Spain  against  the  Moors  brings  into  a  shorter  range 
of  telescopic  view  than  heretofore,  it  will  be  both  more 
safe,  and  more  economical  in  time  and  money  to  forward 
legions  to  India  through  a  perforation  in  the  Isthmus  than 
round  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  This  is  perfectly  under- 
stood and  appreciated  by  all  classes: — and  hence  ^'ow  may 
have  noticed  that  of  three  leading  investing  countries, 
contributing  to  the  Lesseps  project  an  aggregate  of 
$22,669,900,  Great  Britain,  the  plethoric  capitalist,  oflers 
only  $408,500,  Holland  only  |261,400,  while  France  sub- 
scribes for  the  whole  residue,  $22,000,000! 

It  is  rather  a  strange  fact  that  the  cousin  of  the  "  dear 
ally"  should  come  ostentatiously  to  England,  announced 
in  advance  as  purposing  to  meet  Queen  Victoria  on  board 
the  Great  Eastern,  should  pay  his  visit  to  the  big  ship, 
should  travel  rapidly  about,  should  stop  in  London  several 
days,  rest  at  Portsmouth,  and  finally  go  back  to  Paris  with- 
out having  had  the  honor  of  seeing  or  hearing  from  her 
Majesty  at  all !  There  may  be  something  in  Prince  Na- 
poleon, disagreeable  and  repulsive,  though  Mr.  P.  who 
chaperoned  him  through  the  Museum  thinks  otherwise ; 
or  there  may  have  been  dropped  unguardedly  a  stitch  in 
that  mysterious  woof  of  etiquette  which  surrounds  royal 
intercourse : — whatever  the  cause,  the  truth  is  notorious 
and  leads  to  all  sorts  of  renijirk  and  surmise. 

Lord  Brougham  is  just  now  the  order  of  the  day.     He 


TO  MR.  CASS.  165 

has  been  honored  with  a  grand  "Banquet"  at  Edinburgh, 
in  the  course  of  which,  it  is  said,  he  pronounced  an  ehibo- 
rate  philippic  against  the  Emperor  of  the  French.  Under 
the  new  act  of  Parliameut  authorizing  the  appointment 
(without  sahiry)  of  a  Chancellor  of  the  Scotch  University, 
he  and  the  Duke  of  Buccleugh  are  competitors  for  the  post. 
A  good  deal  of  critical  analysis  of  their  respective  merits 
and  demerits  is  circulating: — but  I  think  the  Lord  Harry 
is  far  ahead. 

Count  CoUoredo  has  succumbed,  at  Zurich,  and  the  two 
incomplete  treaties  must  be  signed  by  a  new  and  special 
minister  from  Austria. 

The  cabinet  came  to  town  yesterday  from  all  points  of 
the  compass,  and  are  now  in  session.  On  the  6th  of  No- 
vember they  will  be  here  again  and  then  remain  to  meet 
for  five  or  six  days  in  succession. 

Yesterday  Parliament  was  formally  and  farther  pro- 
rogued to  the  15th  of  December,  on  the  coming  of  which 
day  it  will  be  put  over  to  the  beginning  of  February. 

One  of  this  morning's  journals  prints  a  telegram  from 
Hong-Kong,  saying  that  Mr.  Ward  had  not  effected  the 
ratification  of  the  treaty  at  Pekin.  Possibly : — but  I  doubt, 
on  the  foundation  of  a  statement  made  to  me  by  Major 
McDowell,  recently  an  aid  of  and  introduced  by  General 
Scott.  He  says  that  while  at  St.  Petersburg,  ten  days 
ago,  Mr.  Pickens  informed  him  that  the  Russian  Minister 
of  Foreign  Affairs  announced  at  an  interview  that  Mr. 
Ward  had  been  treated  with  the  utmost  respect  and  kind- 
ness, had  exchanged  ratifications,  and  was  invited  to  drink 
tea  with  the  Emperor !  The  truth  is,  that  the  contrast 
between  peaceful  and  bullying  diplomacy  is  becoming 
painfully  clear,  and  must  be  obscured  by  canards. 

The  French  Imperial  Court  go  to  Compiegne  next 
month.  Of  course,  dependent  and  fraternizing  sovereigns 
are  expected  to  rendezvous  there.  The  Grand  Duchess 
Maria,  whose  marriage  I  witnessed  in  1839,  and  who  has 
the  unenviable  reputation  of  being  a  consummate  politi- 
cian, will  be  first  and  most  favored. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


166  TO  MR.  REED. 


No.  299.-T0  MR.  EEED. 

London,  Novem'ber  4,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Yours  of  the  16th  enclosed  one  ad- 
dressed to  Sir  George  Grey  of  Cape  Colony.  Until  this 
morning,  I  was  at  a  loss  for  his  residence: — nobody  as  yet 
being  known  to  be  in  London.     He  has  your  letter  now. 

The  perversity  about  China  is  still  surprising.  Louis 
i^apoleon  will  beheld  to  his  engagement  for  a  joint  expe- 
dition of  vengeance,  and  that  may  shield  the  government 
from  Parliamentary  condemnation : — for,  the  high  point 
of  acting  independently  of  their  great  ally  is  not  yet 
reached,  either  on  "the  floor"  or  the  hustings.  Mr. 
Ward  has  on  the  whole  acted  well.  I  saw  from  the  first, 
and  so  wrote  home,  that  the  box,  on  which  our  piqued 
friends  here  were  so  lavish  of  their  wit  and  sneers,  was  in 
fact  designed  in  kindness  and  courtesy.  At  Pekin  they 
went  very  far  in  conceding  their  Court  ceremonial  in  or- 
der to  bring  about  an  Imperial  reception: — farther,  in  my 
opinion,  than  you  would  get  the  Arbiter  elegantiarum  of 
Queen  Victoria,  Sir  Edward  Cust,  to  go.  Crede  experto. 
But  this  is  Europe,  whose  traditionary  futilities  of  five 
hundred  years  must  be  respected;  while  those  of  Asia 
whose  roots  have  been  deepening  for  3000  years  are  fit 
only  to  be  bullied  down !  I  thought  Englishmen  more 
right-minded  and  just  than  this  Chinese  experience  shews 
them  to  be.  All  their  newspapers  except  one,  and  their 
hustings  orators  without  exception,  take  special  pleasure 
in  striving  to  make  Mr.  Ward  ridiculous:— ;-and  yet  they 
owe  to  the  manly  and  generous  impulses  of  this  gentleman 
at  the  critical  moment  of  fight  before  the  Forts,  the  lives 
of  their  admiral  and  his  officers,  and  the  rescue  of  such 
of  their  gunboats  as  were  capable  of  rescue  !  The  incon- 
sistencies of  false  pride  know  no  end. 

We  have  a  war,  a  small  war  in  iwesenti  but  a  huge  one 
infiduro,  Spain  vs.  Morocco.  This  and  the  coming  Con- 
gress are  possibly  the  means  wherewith  to  provoke  a 
quarrel  with  England. 

Truly  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  167 


No.  300.-T0  MK.  OASS. 


London,  November  11,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — When  you  get  this,  the  Message  will 
probably  be  in  print,  possibly  in  Congress: — and  I  must 
express  a  confident  assurance  that  upon  considerations  of 
a  public  and  pressing  nature  it  cannot  reach  here  too 
soon. 

The  treaties  of  Zurich,  after  a  succession  of  obstacles 
and  delays  approaching  the  burlesque,  were  on  the  point 
of  signature,  when  the  cabinet  of  Vienna,  in  the  true 
virus  of  the  age,  suddenly  felt  the  inspiration  of  money- 
making,  stopped  the  pens  as  they  touched  the  parchment, 
and  asked  400,000  dollars  morel  "My  representatives," 
said  Napoleon,  "do  you  attach  your  names  and  seals  to 
those  instruments,  and  leave  them  to  remain  incomplete 
if  others  so  choose."  This  command  bore  a  serious  sig- 
nificance. So  Francis  Joseph  made  a  virtue  of  necessity, 
withdrew  his  demand,  and  the  treaties  became /aite  accom- 
plis  late  yesterday  afternoon.  "  I  tell  the  tale  as  it  was 
told  to  me." 

Count  Montalembert  does  not  feel  himself  martyred 
with  sufiicient  emphasis.  He  was  being  forgotten: — a 
wretchedness  quite  intolerable  to  a  Frenchman  who  has 
once  tasted  fame  of  any  sort.  So,  now  he  has  rushed 
into  print  with  two  strings  to  his  bow,  resolved  to  be  sac- 
rificed by  Napoleon  and  sainted  by  the  Pope.  His  bro- 
chure '''■Pie  IX.  et  La  France  en  1849  et  en  1859"  has  drawn 
upon  the  Correspondant  an  avertissement ;  and  will  prob- 
ably make  him  once  more  the  hero  of  a  public  prosecu- 
tion. On  the  present  occasion  he  does  not,  as  he  did  on 
the  last,  enjoy  the  sustaining  sympathies  of  John  Bull : 
for  that  unselfish  old  gentleman  has  been  thrown  into  a 
perfect  splutter  of  vexation,  by  finding  that  this  apostate 
from  anglomania  has  branded  his  conduct  as  ^Hgnoble"  ! 
the  felicity  of  which  epithet  is  not  diminished  by  its  be- 
longing to  both  tongues. 

Your  late  diplomatic  representative  at  the  Argentine 
Kepublic,  Mr.  B.  C.  Yancey,  is  here.  Did  he  not  hail  from 
Georgia  I  should  take  him  for  the  brother  of  the  member 
I  once  knew  from  Alabama.     He  returns  to  the  United 


168  TO  MRS.  SCHOOLCRAFT. 

States  ill  the  painful  predicament  of  Mr.  P ,  to  settle 

and  realize  a  fortune  of  a  million  left  by  a  deceased  father- 
in-law. 

The  foray  of  Ossowatomie  Brown  and  his  band  has  been 
commented  upon  here  with  a  little  less  of  the  anti-slavery 
monomania  than  usual.  The  favorite  cant  ascribes  it  to 
"  madness."  To  me  there  seems  so  much  method  in  this 
madness  that  I  cannot  but  regard  the  whole  as  meriting  a 
thorough  investigation  by  commission  or  committee.  Our 
national  future  may  depend  upon  the  manner  in  which 
this  plot  is  dissected  and  exhibited.  To  pass  it  over  as  a 
freak  will  ensure  it  many  imitations.  Besides,  the  con- 
duct of  those  who  were  to  he  forced  into  liberty,  willy-nilly, 
goes  an  immense  way  to  shew  the  real  character  of  their 
condition  as  laborers: — and  at  the  same  time  may  satisfy 
the  most  fanatic  abolitionist  how  utterly  nonsensical  as 
well  as  desperate  is  the  object  at  which  he  aims. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  301.-TO  MKS.  SOHOOLOEArT. 

LoNDOK,  November  19,  1859. 

My  dear  Mrs.  Schoolcraft, — I  received  late  in  Sep- 
tember last  your  letter  of  the  29th  of  August  with  its  en- 
closed circular,  and  fear  that  I  may  have  incurred  your 
displeasure  by  submitting  to  the  heavy  pressure  of  offi- 
cial engagements  before  making  this  acknowledgment. 

ISTo  one  holds  in  higher  estimation  than  I  do  the  great 
success  achieved  by  your  husband  in  his  history  of  the 
aboriginal  race  of  our  Continent; — and  it  will  afford  me 
sincere  pleasure  to  avail  myself  of  every  opportunity  to 
draw  attention  to  the  edition  you  contemplate  publishing. 

In  June  last  I  was  the  happy  medium  of  conveying  to 
the  Queen  the  sixth  volume  of  Mr.  Schoolcraft's  work,  in 
the  name  of  the  President.  I  presume  that  the  emphatic 
acknowledgment  made  by  her  Majesty,  through  Lord 
John  Russell,  the  principal  Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign 
Affairs,  came  to  his  knowledge.  Her  Majesty  expressed 
her  "  very  great  pleasure  in  accepting  this  magnificent 
and  interesting  volume,"  and  requested  that  I  would  have 


TO  MR.  CASS.  169 

the  o^oodness  to  convey  to  "  the  President  her  sincere 
thanks  for  the  present  of  a  work  which  reflects  honor  both 
upon  its  author,  and  upon  the  government  under  whose 
auspices  it  has  been  published."  Such  praise  as  tliis,  from 
a  Sovereign  so  universally  beloved,  and  a  Secretary  so 
high  in  literary  reputation,  should  give  the  work  unlimited 
circulation. 

I  am,  my  dear  Mrs.  Schoolcraft,  with  profound  respects 
to  your  husband, 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  302.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  November  25,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Since  my  despatch  by  the  Europa  of  the 
19th  instant,  nothing  has  occurred  worthy  of  otiicial  com- 
munication. 

I  am  told  by  Sir  Henry  Holland  that  Lord  John 
Eussell  has,  for  the  last  four  or  iive  days,  been  so  un- 
well as  to  be  contined  to  his  apartments.  Even  if  this 
were  not  so,  I  have  no  reason  to  expect  an  early  attention 
to  the  title  or  taking  of  San  Juan.  N"o  doubt  your 
thoughts  have  been  turned  to  the  expediency  of  having  a 
limit  assigned  to  all  discussion  upon  the  subject.  It  is  not 
enough  that  we  should  be  in  possession,  though  it  is  a 
great  deal. 

Although  I  can  imagine  the  multitudinous  distractions 
to  which,  at  the  opening  of  the  present  Congress,  you 
must  be  subjected,  yet  I  doubt  your  being  half  as  much 
puzzled  how  to  act  as  Lord  Palmerston  and  his  colleagues 
now  are  or  seem  to  be.  On  receiving,  the  other  day,  a 
deputation  respecting  an  improvement  in  the  Law  of 
Bankruptcy,  the  Premier,  thinking  that  the  matter  ought 
regularly  to  have  been  carried  before  Lord  John  Russell, 
amused  his  visitors  by  a  comical  excuse  for  that  Secretary, 
in  consequence  of  the  deluge  of  difficulties  pouring  into 
his  department  from  all  quarters  of  the  earth.  To  these 
cares  may  probably  be  soon  added  that  of  representing 
his  country  at  the  European  Congress  to  convene  in  Paris, 
possibly  as  early  as  the  15th  of  December  next. 


170  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Lord  Cowley  paid  us  a  flying  visit  at  the  beginning  of 
the  present  week,  and  is  believed  to  have  borne  iVoni  Com- 
pi^gne  the  cunning  proposal  of  a  simultaneous  disarma- 
ment. No  ministry  could  outlive  for  a  week  an  attempt 
to  arrest  the  actual  movement  for  defence  against  possible 
invasion.  Stop  the  Naval  Reserve!  Stop  the  Rifles! 
Stop  the  Armstrong  guns  on  their  way  to  the  chalky 
clifis!  The  astute  Emperor  probably  understands  this 
perfectly: — and  only  strengthens  his  own  position  and 
plans  by  offering  what  is  sure  to  be  refused. 

A  casual  interchange  of  question,  answer,  and  remark, 
at  the  Russian  Embassy,  with  her  Majesty's  principal 
Secretary  of  State  for  Foreign  Affairs.  His  lordship  an- 
ticipates much  good  from  the  visit  of  General  Scott  to 
Bellevue: — he  also  has  great  confidence  in  the  wisdom 
and  forbearance  of  Admiral  Baines: — his  principal  objec- 
tion to  Harney  is  the  rough  or  rude  style  in  which  he  re- 
plied to  Governor  Douglas'  disproof  of  Hubb's  story  that 
the  Hudson  Bay's  Company  had  threatened  to  carry  off 
an  American  who  had  killed  a  pig!  I  expected  him  to 
tell  me,  but  he  did  not,  that  Governor  Douglas  had  been 
recalled.  It  is  so  rumored.  Not  a  word  yet  from  the 
new  Envoy,  Mr.  Wyke,  who  deflected  to  Guatemala.  I  do 
not  ascribe  much  importance  to  these  chats  en  salons,  but 
they  are  not  wholly  void  of  significance,  and  certainly 
in  the  one  referred  to  I  could  perceive  nothing  inconsist- 
ent with  the  impressions  heretofore  conveyed  to  you. 

I  have  just  been  told,  by  a  perfectly  established  author- 
ity for  penetrating  and  disseminating  political  secrets,  that 
Garibaldi  has  been  invited  to  Compiegne.  The  tyrant 
and  the  tribune  in  conclave!  There  is  something  Napo- 
leonic in  the  conjunction:  as  it  shews  a  consciousness  that, 
of  all  the  brood  of  monarchs,  he  alone,  as  the  offspring  of 
universal  suffrage,  can  handle  unharmed  the  hot  irons  of 
democracy. 

Persons  recently  from  Italy  (English  and  American) 
say  that  no  ejaculation  is  more  frequently  heard  among 
the  common  people  than  "Oh!  if  we  could  only  find  a 
"Washington !"  Uttered  in  the  sincerity  of  a  trying  crisis 
by  the  descendants  of  Brutus,  Cato,  Gracchus,  etc.,  are 
we  not  excusable  if  proud  of  these  words?  Garibaldi  is 
assuredly  not  an  entire  Washington  :  but  he  is  as  nearly 
so  as  perhaps  any  man  can  be  not  born  on  the  Western 
Continent. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  171 

Prussia,  stimulated  by  her  traditions,  is  believed  to 
intend,  at  the  coming  Congress,  to  press  the  adoption  of 
Governor  Marcy's  proposal  to  substitute  for  the  abolition 
of  Privateering  the  entire  immunity  of  private  property 
from  capture.  It  is  perhaps  to  be  regretted  that  we  are 
not  3^et  prepared  for  this  beneficent  measure.  Our  great 
instruments  of  war  on  the  ocean  are  the  swarms  of  vol- 
unteer clippers  with  which  we  can  so  harass  the  com- 
merce of  an  enemy  in  all  parts  of  the  world  as  speedily 
to  bring  him  to  terms.  We  deprecate  standing  armies, 
huge  navies,  and  our  policy  is  not  only  peace  but  perma- 
nent disarmament.  What's  to  become  of  us  if  this  last  and 
congenial  resource  be  diplomatized  out  of  our  power  ? 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  303.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  December  9,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — This  note  must  be  accommodated  in  size  . 
to  the  little  patience  you  will  have  left  after  reading  three 
dull  despatches. 

1.  My  confidence  in  the  punctuality  of  steam  inclines 
me,  as  you  open  this  letter,  to  step  out,  mingle  in  your 
interchange  of  visits,  and  very  heartily  to  wish  you  a 
merry  Christmas! 

2.  The  early  meeting  of  Parliament,  24th  Januarj^,  is 
ascribed  to  a  determination  on  the  part  of  the  cabinet  to 
begin  the  session  with  a  Reform  bill,  and  to  push  it 
steadily  through  before  the  holidays.  Mr.  Bright  has 
just  announced  at  an  assenting  assemblage  of  reformers, 
that  he  will  accept  what  is  supposed  to  be  the  ministerial 
projet,  namely  the  measure  explained  in  the  House  by 
Lord  John  Russell,  after  the  Derby  administration  had 
been  fatally  stricken :  i.e.  a  ten-pound  franchise  in  counties, 
a  six-pound  rental  one  for  boroughs,  with  a  large  extin- 
guisliment  of  seats  in  small  boroughs,  and  the  transfer  of 
those  seats  to  more  important  constituencies. 

3.  This  government  were,  through  the  Admiralty  and 
admiral,  so  prompt,  quiet,  and  eflective  in  rescuing  the 
property  of  Grinnell  and  Minturn,  on  board   the   Sea 


172  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Serpent,  from  the  dangers  of  a  violent  mutiny,  that 
though  I  may  feel  bound  to  say  something,  would  it  not 
be  well  that  I  should  be  authorized  to  convey  your  formal 
acknowledgments  ? 

4.  It  is  confidently  believed,  though  not  technically 
certain,  that  the  Congress  at  Paris,  which  assembles  on 
the  15th  or  20th  instant,  will  have  Lord  Cowley  alone  as 
the  British  representative. 

5.  For  the  first  time  in  England,  I  was  yesterday 
honored  by  a  visit  from  Mr.  Louis  Kossuth.  He  looks 
much  improved.  He  is  somewhat  subdued  by  long  de- 
ferred hope  making  the  heart  sick.  He  does  not,  hov^- 
ever,  complain,  even  of  Louis  Napoleon.  His  eye  bright- 
ens, and  his  arm  makes  an  oratorical  gesture,  as  he  refers 
to  the  incidents  transpiring  in  Hungary.  He  says  he  is 
growing  old.  I  think  not.  He  is  but  57,  and  his  beard 
only  enriched  with  lines  of  silver  scattered  on  light- 
brown. 

6.  Of  course  you  have  noticed  the  act  of  the  four  Liver- 
pool merchants  who  undertook  to  eclipse  the  famous 
Sheffield  Foreign  Affairs  Committee,  by  addressing  a 
joint  note  of  interrogation  to  the  Emperor,  demanding  to 
know  what  he  meant.  The  thing  is  too  silly  to  be  the 
burden  of  remark : — and  yet  H.  I.  Majesty  has  not  let 
slip  the  opportunity  of  sending  a  few  keen  darts  of  min- 
gled encouragement  and  scorn  across  the  Channel,  i^ever- 
theless  his  reply  don't  silence  the  Laureate's  invocation, 
"Form,  form.  Riflemen,  form!"  Drills  are  enacted 
everywhere.  The  Judges  and  Lawj^ers  "play  soldiering" 
every  afternoon  in  Westminster  Hall ! 

Always  fkithfully  yrs. 


No.  304.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  December  16,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Accept  my  best  thanks  for  your  full  and 
kind  letter  of  the  26th  November  last.  I  cannot  think 
that  the  democratic  statesmen  of  the  United  States  will 
fail,  under  passionate  excitement,  to  turn  to  the  best  ac- 
count what  appears  to  me  the  most  auspicious  period  fur- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  173 

nished  by  our  political  history  for  vindicating  the  social 
humanity,  as  well  as  the  national  wisdom,  of  the  assailed 
clauses  of  the  Constitution. 

The  diplomatic  movement  at  the  Porte,  insisting  upon 
the  concession  required  by  Mr.  Lesseps,  is  very  signiiicant. 
The  Sultan  is  beset  by  the  combined  representatives  of 
France,  Russia,  Austria,  Prussia  (?),  and  Sardinia,  who 
simultaneousl}^  demand  that  he  shall  recede  from  the  en- 
gagement of  his  Prime  Minister  with  Sir  Henry  Bulwer, 
and  authorize  the  canal.  Such  a  pressure  is  not  to  be  re- 
sisted by  the  "sick  man."  It  is,  as  I  regard  it,  the  sud- 
denly revealed  consummation  of  a  profound  JSTapoleonic 
policy,  which  has  been  characterized  in  a  recently  pub- 
lished and  powerful  pamphlet  by  Emile  de  Girardin,  as 
the  ultimately  fatal  thrust  of  the  French  rapier  into  the 
British  cuirass. 

Pius  the  Ninth  commissions  Cardinal  Antonelli  to  the 
Congress  at  Paris.  Thai,  of  course  : — for  he  has  no  other 
competent  man  at  his  service;  but  then,  feeling  the 
majesty  of  the  Pontificate,  he  formally  claims  for  the  repre- 
sentative of  160,000,000  of  Roman  Catholics  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  Assembly.  The  demand  can  scarcely  be 
entertained  by  a  Protestant  power : — even  France  may 
be  embarrassed  by  it : — nor  is  it  altogether  impossible,  if 
it  be  seriously  and  iirmly  pressed,  that  the  contemplated 
Congress  may  disperse  in  anger  before  organization.  I 
wish  this: — and  would  almost  agree  to  be  Mortara-ized, 
if  the  Holy  Father  would  effect  it:— for,  in  verity,  as  Eu- 
rope is  now  composed,  these  general  Congresses  are  mere 
trumps  in  the  hands  of  a  despotic  copartnership. 

All  Ireland  is  getting  to  be  deeply  stirred.  Meetings 
are  numberless,  crowded  to  excess,  extremely  violent, 
and  openly  proclaiming  a  higher  loyalty  than  that  to  the 
Queen. 

The  Russian  is  beginning  to  perceive  that  he  has  a  hard 
road  to  travel  in  effecting  the  emancipation  or  enfranchise- 
ment of  the  serfs.  "  The  course  of  true  love  never  did 
run  smooth."  Our  wishes  for  his  success  are  rather  damped 
by  the  bold  attitude  and  language  of  the  dissenting  nobles. 

Senator  Seward  returned  home  the  day  before  yester- 
day, I  believe  by  the  Arago.  As  I  send  you,  from  the 
Azores  Consulate,  a  letter  respecting  the  yacht  "  Wan- 


174  TO  MR.  CASS. 

derer,"  it  may  be  agreeable  to  have  the  enclosed  news- 
paper slips,  reporting  the  subsequent  career  of  her  captain. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  305 -TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  December  23,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — A  telegram  from  Galway  brings  news 
from  the  United  States  as  late  as  the  13th  instant,  and 
announces  that,  at  that  date,  there  were  still  no  Speaker 
and  no  Message !  However  provoking,  pretty  much  as 
was  expected.  I  cannot  help  thinking  and  hoping  that 
the  true  cause  will  lose  nothing  by  debate  in  the  House : — 
but  the  consequent  detention  of  the  great  annual  expo- 
sition of  national  affairs  is  a  grievance  of  no  light  weight. 

The  Congress  at  Paris  being  assured,  either  for  the  5th 
or  (to  accommodate  Grortschakoff)  the  20th  of  January, 
and  the  Plenipotentiaries  ascertained,  the  moment  is  seized 
for  a  Manifesto  which  discloses,  if  not  dictates,  the  Napo- 
leonic programme.  This  paper,  entitled  "  The  Fope  and 
the  Congress,"  passes  from  the  Emperor  to  the  public 
through  the  same  funnel.  Monsieur  de  la  Guerroniere, 
whence  issued  the  celebrated  pamphlet  ^^  Napoleo7i  111,  et 
ritalie,"  which  closely  followed  the  sharp  words  to  Hiibner 
on  the  1st  January,  '59,  and  in  advance  vindicated  Pales- 
tro,  Magenta,  and  Solferino.  It  is  a  most  remarkable 
document: — leading  through  a  series  of  lucid  and  forcible 
arguments  to  a  conclusion  with  which  all  the  world  might 
be  satisfied  except  perhaps  the  Pontiff  and  his  Cardinals. 
It  is  here  and  there  sprinkled  with  refreshing  drops  of 
sound  democratic  doctrine.  The  right  of  the  Romagnese 
to  choose  their  own  government  is  not  to  be  controverted, 
and  that  they  have  done  so  is  a  fait  accompli.  France 
can  never  coerce  them  back  as  subjects  of  the  Pope.  Let 
his  Holiness  remain  an  independent  sovereign  :  his  terri- 
tory, Rome: — his  police  or  protection,  the  troops  of  the 
Confederation: — his  revenues,  the  guarantied  contribu- 
tions of  the  Catholic  Powers,  and  of  the  200,000,000  of 
his  spiritual  subjects : — hie  head  and  heart  relieved  from 


TO  MR.  P.  175 

the  distractions  of  administration  ;  his  pursuits  those  of 
contemplation,  beneiicence,  prayer,  concord,  and  peace ! 

All  the  high  officers  of  government  have  gone  to  spend 
their  Christmas  holidays  in  their  country  homes.  They 
vrill  hardly  rally  here  again  before  Tvi^elfth-Night : — and 
then  they  will  not  have  three  weeks  to  prepare  for  Par- 
liament. 

The  rumor  was  false  that  ascribed  to  the  Pope  a  desire 
to  have  Autonelli  preside  over  the  Congress.  A  formal 
contradiction  comes  from  Rome. 

It  is  impossible  to  get  at  the  truth  as  to  the  war  in  Mo- 
rocco, or  the  tendency  to  outbreak  in  Hungary.  Spain, 
however,  has  certainly  met  a  more  determined  and  numer- 
ous foe  than  she  expected.  K  a  few  drenching  storms, 
pregnant  with  cholera,  dysentery,  and  ague,  help  the 
Moors,  O'Donnell  may  be  driven  to  his  ships. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  306.-TO  ME.  P. 

London,  December  25,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  best  thanks  of  Mr.  Sanders  and 
myself  are  due  to  you  for  the  eflbrt  made  to  place  the 
Petition  before  his  Imperial  Majesty.  I  received  it  back 
safely,  and  have  transmitted  it  to  Mr.  Sanders,  with  the 
original  note  from  the  Department  of  Count  Gortschakofl": 
— so  that  he  can,  if  he  wish,  pursue  his  object  by  invoking 
the  kindness  of  Mr.  Stoeckl  at  Washington.  More  than 
twenty  years  ago,  he  was  a  gallant  officer  in  the  service  of 
his  country,  Poland: — but  the  extinction  of  all  hope  there 
threw  him  upon  the  resources  of  his  education  and  energy 
in  the  United  States,  and,  as  a  fellow-citizen  of  ours,  he 
has  worked  his  way  to  general  esteem  and  a  competency. 

The  brochure  just  issued  in  Paris,  nominally  by  M.  de 
la  Guerroniere,  discloses  with  eloquence  and  force  the 
Napoleonic  policy  designed  for  adoption  by  the  Congress. 
France  will  not  permit  the  banished  Dukes  to  be  restored 
by  arms:  the  position  of  the  Romagnese  is  incontestably 
Si  fait  accompli,  and  she  cannot,  consistently  with  her  prin- 
ciples, compel  them  to  resume  an  allegiance  which  they 


176  TO  MR.  P. 

have  unanimously  and  effectually  thrown  off:  the  tem- 
poral sovereignt}'  of  the  Pontiff  is  essential  to  his  spiritual 
independence,  but  it  need  not  be  territorially  extensive, 
on  the  contrary  it  may  best  be  restricted  within  the  boun- 
daries of  Rome: — let  his  revenues  be  ample  contributions 
from  the  Catholic  Powers  and  Peoples ;  his  sacred  office 
freed  from  the  distractions  of  administration ;  his  subjects 
without  liability  to  taxation;  and  his  mind  bent  exclu- 
sively upon  divine  contemplation,  magnificent  ceremo- 
nials, prayers,  and  blessings!  Such  is  substantially  the 
programme  for  the  proceedings  at  the  Congress  to  assemble 
in  Paris  about  the  20th  January,  1860.  It  is  a  boldly  de- 
lineated chart,  whose  lines  are  strongly  marked,  and  to  be 
misunderstood  by  nobody,  least  of  all  by  the  Holy  Father 
or  Francis  Joseph.  Will  it  be  carried  out?  I  would  say, 
perhaps  it  will,  if  the  Czar  adhere  to  France,  England, 
Prussia,  and  Sardinia. 

Advices  from  home  are  to  the  13th  instant,  when  Con- 
gress was  still  without  organization,  no  Speaker,  no  Mes- 
sage:, nor  is  it  very  probable  that  any  progress  will  be 
made  until  after  the  holidays.  Naturally,  so  near  the  ten- 
tative foray  at  Harper's  Ferry,  and  with  a  state  of  parties 
in  the  House  which  allows  a  fair  hope  to  our  friends,  the 
excitement  runs  very  high.  I  am  waiting  in  momentary 
expectation  of  hearing  of  the  arrival  of  the  steamer  Europa 
at  Liverpool: — she  will  bring  the  news  down  to  the  16th 
instant,  and  if  that  be  important,  an  effort  shall  be  made 
to  send  it  to  you. 

Our  relations  with  this  government  are  once  more 
serene.  The  effect  of  General  Scott's  visit  is  reassuring 
and  tranquillizing.  San  Juan  will  be  enlivened  and  pro- 
tected by  the  presence  of  two  small  military  companies, 
one  from  each  country: — and  then,  the  negotiation,  as  to 
the  title  to  the  island,  renewed,  will,  I  dare  venture  to  say, 
be  protracted  pretty  much  as  was  the  one  about  the  Oregon 
boundary. 

Pray  present  the  best  wishes  of  the  season  to  Mrs.  P. 
from  all  my  family,  and  with  my  cordial  salutations,  be- 
lieve me 

Very  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  177 


No.  307 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  December  28,  1859. 

My  dear  Sir, — Sir  H.  H.  calling  to  make  sure  that  a 
prescription  was  eftective,  has  just  told  me  that  Lord  Ma- 
caulay  died  yesterday  morning.  His  disease  was  in  the 
heart,  and  probably  attended  by  an  effusion  on  the  chest. 
Only  59  : — made  Peer  about  three  years  ago,  but  has  never 
spoken  in  the  House  of  Lords.  During  ray  time  here,  he 
has  been  residing  two  miles  out  of  London,  on  Campden 
Hill.  His  high  position  in  the  world  of  literature  will 
doubtless  cause  a  deluge  of  obituary  notices. 

General  Scott's  adjustment  at  San  Juan  is  esteemed 
satisfactory ;  although  this  good  people,  as  is  their  wont, 
think  they  are  entitled  to  more  than  enough,  and  growl 
askance  at  Picket's  little  anti-Indian  company.  The  re- 
newed assertion  of  their  unquestionable  title  to  the  island, 
in  the  daily  journals,  may  I  think  be  regarded  as  an  indi- 
cation that  something  claiming  to  be  an  answer  to  your 
argument  is  on  its  way. 

The  Napoleonic  pamphlet  "ig  Pape  et  le  Congres,"  which 
I  mentioned  in  my  last,  is  creating  as  much  chuckle  in 
England  as  tumult  on  the  Continent.  These  mild  and 
tolerant  Episcopalians  look  upon  it  as  a  fatal  stab  inflicted 
upon  the  Scarlet  Lady,  by  the  favorite  matricide.  The 
Pontiti"and  the  Cardinals  are  startled  into  activity: — An- 
tonelli  draws  back  the  foot  he  had  stretched  towards 
France : — his  intended  colleague,  already  in  Paris,  Sac- 
coni,  demands  official  disclaimer  by  Walewski :  even  the 
Gallican  Bishops  seem  shocked,  and,  with  one  or  two  ex- 
ceptions, are  "denying  their  master:"  —  and,  behold! 
Count  Kisseleff,  the  Czar's  ambassador,  though  of  the 
Greek  Church,  says  the  brochure  won't  do,  that  it  is  too 
democratic,  and  that  the  glorious  example  of  Russia  attests 
the  wisdom  of  keeping  united  temporal  and  spiritual  sov- 
ereignties !  In  the  midst  of  this  fracas,  the  unanimous 
"All  Hail!"  of  Central  Italy  and  Sardinia  comes  roaring 
over  the  Alps.  It  is  almost  a  fair  race  between  the  two 
Congresses,  the  one  at  Paris  and  the  other  at  Washington, 
which  shall  organize  first  and  which  first  disperse.  I 
rather  incline  to  wager  on  the  latter: — but  we  shall  be 

VOL.  II. — 12  , 


178  TO  MR.  EVERETT. 

better  able  to  form  an  opinion  how  the  heat  will  end,  the 
day  after  to-morrow,  the  pregnant  ISTew- Year's  Day,  when 
the  Papal  Nuncio,  heading  the  Diplomatic  Body,  may 
possibly  evoke  or  provoke  from  the  Oracle  some  illumi- 
nating remark  like  that  darted  upon  Baron  Hlibner. 

Do  3'^ou  notice  that  the  old  impracticable  Boyars  of 
Moscow  have  so  worried  and  irritated  the  Emperor  Alex- 
ander, on  the  question  of  serf-emancipation,  that  he  de- 
clines spending  his  Christmas  among  them  as  has  been 
the  practice  of  the  Court  ?  A  small  fact,  signifying  much 
on  that  point. 

The  weather  has  become  quite  mild. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  308.-TO  ME.  EVEEETT. 

London,  January  5,  1860. 

My  dear  Mr.  Everett, — You  must  allow  me  to  sight 
two  birds  (and  beautiful  birds  they  are  !)  with  a  single  bar- 
rel. Mrs.  S.  B.  some  month  or  two  ago  had  permitted 
me  to  retain  the  newspaper  copy  of  your  Webster  Eulogy. 
I  had  indeed  a  diplomatic  jpurpose  to  which  to  apply  a  part 
of  it.  Since  then  the  pamphlet  with  your  signature  has 
been  cordially  welcomed.  I  can't  tell  you  without  seem- 
ing extravagant  how  much  pleasure  it  has  given  me. 
During  m}^  lirst  service  in  the  Senate,  my  seat  adjoined 
Mr.  Webster's,  and  this  accidental  circumstance  led  to  a 
constant  interchange  of  remark  on  politics  £tfid  persons. 
You  can  readily  conceive  how  well  I  remember  certain 
leading  incidents  of  that  his  most  brilliant  and  useful  time. 

Am  I  wrong  in  the  impression  that  you  and  Mr.  Webster 
were  never  in  the  Senate  during  the  same  session  ?  It  is 
to  that  I  ascribe  your  not  dropping  a  word,  while  enumera- 
ting his  traits,  upon  his  power  as  an  actor.  lie  was  too 
grave  a  statesman  to  shew  this  except  behind  the  curtain; 
but  I  have  seen  him,  when  the  galleries  were  cleared  and 
the  doors  closed,  gesticulate  against  the  "  unmitigated 
tyrant,"  or  repeat  a  whole  scene  from  Cumberland,  with 
an  effectiveness  equal  to  anything  done  by  Demosthenes 
or  Garrick. 


TO  31 R.  CASS.  179 

In  speaking  of  him  as  a  diplomatist,  the  Eulogy  supplies 
a  most  interesting:  narrative  of  what  he  did  while  neo-otia- 
ting  the  Treaty  of  '42,  as  to  the  JSortheastern  boundary, 
with  "  the  red-lined  map  of  '83."  The  view  taken  of  this 
matter  by  the  quondam  British  Consul  of  Boston,  Grattan, 
may  not  have  met  your  eye.  I  have  it,  cut  from  a  recent 
Times,  and  send  it  enclosed. 

All  lovers  of  their  country  doing  duty  abroad  must 
gratefully  thank  you  for  that  grand  invocation  to  Union 
delivered  at  Faneuil  Hall.  Nothing  sounder,  nothing 
truer,  nothing  liner.  Such  an  appeal  ought  to  be  irre- 
sivStible.  And  yet  the  infatuated  and  presumptuous  men, 
authors  really  of  all  the  mischief,  know  how  to  be  deaf  to 
everything  but  their  own  voices.  Let  them  take  heed: — 
for  they  who  halloo  on  a  robber  and  assassin  may  find 
Judge  Lynch  attracted  by  the  sound.  The  poisoned 
chalice  is  often  drained  by  those  who  mixed  it. 

Lord  Macaulay  takes  his  place  in  Poets'  Corner  on  Mon- 
day next,  the  9th  of  January. 

Our  friend  Sir  H.  H.  gives  me  most  pleasant  accounts 
of  the  happiness  of  your  son  at  Cambridge,  and  of  the 
high  esteem   niwhich  he  is  held. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


Uo.  309.-T0  MR,  CASS. 

London,  January  6,  1860. 

My  dear 'Sir, — We  shall  soon  plunge  in  medias  res, 
on  this  side  of  the  water.  The  Premier's  grand  minis- 
terial dinner  is  announced  for  the  21st  instant:  it  precedes 
the  opening  of  Parliament  three  daj's.  The  session  prom- 
ises to  be  interesting  from  the  start,  and  may  become 
eventful.  Parties,  however,  are  unusually  tranquil.  Cer- 
tainly there  are  topics  enough  on  which  disagreement 
must  arise: — the  war  with  China,  the  Morocco  policy,  the 
future  of  Italy,  and  the  Pope,  Reform,  Church  Rates,  In- 
dian Finance,  Riiie-corps,  Ribbon-men: — but  as  yet  the 
surface  betra^'s  no  symptom  of  interior  violence.  The 
government  can  scarcely  be  said  to  have  its  majority  in 
the  House;  and  it  is  believed  to  be  liable,  from  hour  to 


180  TO   MR.  CASS. 

hour,  to  explosive  dissension :  and  yet,  no  one  anticipates 
the  advent  of  a  new  ministry  from  any  checkmate  in  the 
Commons. 

The  earthy  residunm  of  Macaulay  will  he  deposited  in 
the  Poets'  Corner  of  Westminster  Ahbey  on  Monday  next: 
— and,  as  within  three  years  he  was  ^^  created"  something 
better  than  other  folks,  the  huge  folding  front  door  of  the 
great  Cathedral  will  be  thrown  open  for  his  ashes,  and  he 
will  not  be  required,  as  Stephenson  was,  to  crawl  his  way 
through  the  little  back  door,  occasionally  rubbing  and 
sticking  against  cold  walls,  to  his  immortality.  But  where- 
fore in  the  "Poets'  Corner"?  Assuredly  he  wrote  verses, 
and  good  ones  too : — but  they  were  thrown  into  dark 
eclipse  by  his  Essays  and  History.  In  this  last  department, 
wherein  he  chiselled  hard  at  the  column  of  his  fame,  his 
integrity  has  often  been  assailed: — and  it  may  be  that  his 
dust  is  mingled  with  that  of  "  Rare  Ben  Jonson,"  Shak- 
speare,  Pope,  to  intimate  that  he  excelled  in  fiction  even 
when  handling  fact. 

Count  Walewski  has  ceased  to  be  Napoleon's  minister 
of  Foreign  Aifairs.  The  acceptance  of  his  resignation 
is  in  yesterday's  Moniteur.  He  is  succeeded,  ad  interim^ 
by  M.  Baroche,  permanently  by  Thouvenel,  the  ambas- 
sador at  Constantinople.  This  change  is,  at  once  and 
everywhere,  recognized  as  strongly  if  not  conclusively 
significant  of  the  Imperial  determination  to  adhere  to  the 
scheme  of  the  recent  pamphlet  "ie  Pa.pe  ctle  Congres." 
In  one  aspect,  it  is  anti-anglican : — for  Thouvenel  has 
signalized  his  mission  at  the  Porte  by  routing  Sir  Henry 
Bulwer  on  the  Suez  Canal: — but  in  a  more  important 
bearing,  that  of  the  central  independence  of  Ital}'  and  the 
limitation  of  the  Supreme  Pontift"s  temporal  sovereignty, 
it  is  all  English.  One  consequence  may,  I  think  (though 
others  don't),  be  safely  predicated  of  this  decided  coup 
d'etat:  —  there  will  be  no  Congress,  or  only  such  Con- 
gress as,  in  the  absence  of  Czar,  Kaiser,  and  Pope,  will 
augment,  instead  of  eradicate,  the  complications  and 
uncertainties  of  the  "situation."  There  is  ample  room 
on  the  astrologer's  dial  for  a  fresh  coalition  and  another 
war. 

I  long,  everybody  longs,  for  the  Message  : — and  yet 
after  the  lapse  of  a  whole  month  from  the  beginning  of 


TO  MR.  CASS.  181 

the  congressional  session,  here  comes  a  newspaper  saying 
that  by  this  time  it  may  just  have  reached  the  Capitol ! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  310.-T0  MK.  OASS. 

London,  January  13,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  am  much  exercised  by  the  misgovern- 
ment  which  appears  to  prevail  on  board  of  our  merchant 
vessels.  Acts  of  mutiny  or  murder  are  causing  constant 
applications  for  rendition  warrants.  Four  of  these  are  at 
this  moment  pending.  Can  nothing  legislative  be  devised 
to  remedy  a  disease  which  must  bring  the  service  into  dis- 
repute, and  ultimately  injure  our  navigation  and  com- 
merce ?  Would  not  Mr.  Clay,  Chairman  of  the  Senate's 
Committee  on  Commerce,  consider  the  subject?  As  akin 
to  this  topic,  let  me  add  that  I  shall  to-morrow  confer  on 
the  possibility  of  a  Consular  Convention ; — a  possibility 
regarded  as  very  remote. 

The  Message  came  to  us  in  full,  two  days  ago.  It  is 
received  with  a  deference  and  favor  altogether  unusual. 
The  Times  has  dwelt  upon  it  every  morning  in  terms  of 
compliment  as  to  matter,  tone,  and  style.  The  cheek- 
bursting  Boreas  of  the  Advertiser,  full  of  abolition  wind, 
is  the  only  journal  that  has  ventured  a  rabid  roar  in  the 
other  direction.  Such  official  documents,  however  treated 
amid  party  heats  at  home,  furnish  to  all  lovers  of  Ameri- 
can institutions  abroad,  as  you  very  well  know,  inexhausti- 
ble sources  of  pride  and  gratification. 

The  Pope  and  the  Emperor  have  crossed  rapiers,  and 
simultaneously  lunged  at  each  other.  iTapoleon's  weapon 
is  the  more  polished : — the  Holy  Father  losing  some  of 
his  discretion  in  extemporaneously  addressing  General 
Guyon  under  excitement  caused  by  the  really  Imperial, 
though  ostensibly  anonymous  pamphlet  "ie  Pape  et  le 
Congress  While  Bonaparte  soothingly  and  reverently 
couples  with  his  "  Happy  iSTew  /ear"  the  suggestion  how 
wise  it  would  be  in  the  Pontiff  to  let  the  rebellious 
Romagnese  go  their  way,  his  spiritual  and  infallible 
Chief  anathematizes  the  brochure  as  ^'■ua  opuscule  qu'on  peut 


182  TO  MR.  CASS. 

appeler  un  monument  insigne  d'hypocrisie  et  un  tissu  ignoble  de 
eont7\ulictions"!  The  width  and  depth  of  a  breach  thus 
created  cannot  be  sounded : — and  we  look  soon  to  see 
Rome  evacuated  bj  the  French  troops: — indeed  both 
Guyon  and  Grammont  are  reported  to  have  already 
left. 

A  writer  of  considerable  talent,  and  a  shrewd  observer, 
has  recently  pressed  upon  public  notice  a  sort  of  warning 
which  it  can  do  no  harm  to  communicate  to  you.  He 
shews,  in  the  first  place,  a  large  increase  made,  and  still 
making  in  the  French  Navy.  Then  he  points  to  the 
quarrel  about  the  Cod  fisheries,  purposely  kept  open. 
And  he  asks,  what  the  armament  is  meant  for? — ridicules 
the  idea  of  an  invasion  of  England,  and  announces  the 
j^apoleonic  idea  of  a  reconquest  of  Canada !  A  restora- 
tion of  this  great  colony,  half  of  whose  population  remain 
essentially  French,  would,  he  argues,  give  to  Louis 
Napoleon  a  brilliant  immortality,  not  otherwise  within  his 
reach. 

Do  you  notice  the  dexterous  manner  in  which  the 
nobles  of  Russia  have  caused  the  Czar  to  halt  in  his 
plan  of.  serf-emancipation  ?  They  address  him  through 
an  imposing  committee  :•  profess  to  admire  the  generosity 
of  his  aims;  and  express  a  readiness  to  aid  the  move- 
ment, if  it  be  accompanied  by  its  indispensable  and  kin- 
dred props,  freeholds,  municipal  representation,  and 
liberty  of  the  press !  His  Majesty  has  paused  and  still 
pauses. 

A  shadowy  prospect  only  is  thought  to  remain  for  a 
Congress  at  Paris.  The  common  tendency  is  to  back 
from  it.  Russia  doubts,  and  Gortschakoff  declines: — 
Austria  thinks  the  programme  proposed  by  France  alto- 
gether irreconcilable  with  the  agreements  of  Villafranca 
and  Zurich,  and  too  unpalatable  to  be  swallowed.  Pio 
Nono  and  Antonelli  are  completely  staggered.  Prussia  is 
quite  indifterent.  England,  after  all,  would  seem  to  have 
brought  about  a  condition  of  things  which  leaves  to  the 
alliance  the  command  of  the  "situation,"  and  unites  her 
with  Napoleon  in  securing  the  independence  of  Italy. 
The  general  opinion  regards  the  alliance  as  closer  and 
stronger  than  ever.  Such  I  know  are  the  ideas  incul- 
cated in  the  very  highest  circles  of  politics.  It  is  not 
said    ^^  ive    have  joined   Napoleon:''     that    would    involve 


TO  SIR  G.  LEWIS.  183 

ail  admission- at  which  national  pride  recoils:  but  ^''Napo- 
leon has  come  over  to  our  polict/"  is  a  phrase  heard  in  all 
quarters,  amid  flushes  of  exultation  and  rubbing  of  hands. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  311.-T0  SIK  G.  LEWIS. 

London,  January  18,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir  George  Lewis, — I  cannot  too  cordially 
thank  you  for  the  excellent  pamphlet  on  Jurisdiction  and 
Extradition  which  accompanied  your  note  of  the  16tli  in- 
stant. Having  read  it  carefully,  I  do  not  find  a  single 
proposition  in  it  to  which  I  can  decline  adhering.  It  has 
given  me  a  strong  assurance  that  one  who  so  perfectly 
understands  his  subject  will  devise  modes  of  removing  its 
practical  embarrassments. 

It  is  a  high  interest  of  all  nations  that  great  crimes 
should  be  punished.  But  they  can  be  punished  only  by 
the  jurisdiction  within  which  they  occur.  The  Times  and 
the  Post  seem  not  to  approve  my  interposition  with  the 
case  at  Cowes.  One  regards  me  as  "protesting,"  the  other 
as  impeding  the  progress  of  justice.  Not  at  all.  The 
murders  cannot  be  reached  by  English  law.  No  English 
court  would  entertain  a  case  of  crime  committed  on  the 
high  seas  on  board  of  an  American  vessel.  Not  to  inter- 
vene and  not  to  oft'er  the  only  competent  jurisdiction, 
necessarily  lead  to  the  ultimate  discharge  and  impunity 
of  the  malefactors.  Their  escape,  owing  to  the  imperfec- 
tions of  our  extradition  system,  ma3'  be  probable : — but 
without  that  proceeding  it  is  certain.  You  and  I  may, 
I  siucerely  hope,  contrive  some  mode  of  preventing  the 
escape  of  culprits  and  witnesses,  and  remitting  them 
promptly  and  effectively  to  the  only  jurisdiction,  here  or 
in  the  United  States,  where  they  can  be  dealt  with.  If 
we  don't,  each  country  becomes,  more  or  less,  a  sanctuary 
for  the  other's  worst  criminals. 

Many  apologies  and  fresh  thanks. 

Always  faithfully  and  most  respectfully  yrs. 


134  TO  ME.  CASS. 


No.  312.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  January  20,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  great  rejoicingthat  the  French 
Emperor,  m  an  official  letter  of  instructions  to  Mr.  Sec- 
retary Fould,  of  the  5th  instant,  has  given  his  unqual- 
ified adhesion  to  the  doctrine  of  Free  Trade,  and  has 
directed  the  future  to  be  fashioned  accordingly.  This 
grand  coup  d'etat  received  its  final  impulsive  blow  from 
Mr.  Cobden.  That  gentleman  sought  Paris  ostensibly  for 
a  change  of  air  about  two  months  ago; — but  those  who 
watched  his  movements  made  public  reports  of  frequent 
interviews  with  his  Majesty:  their  conversation  even  was 
occasionally  detailed  :  and  now  the  Moniteur  of  last  Sun- 
day contains  the  economical  dissertation  and  fiat  which 
for  ten  days  they  elaborated  upon  the  anvil  between  them ! 
The  French  trading  ports  are  naturally  rejoiced :  Bor- 
deaux and  Havre  illuminated  as  soon  as  they  appreciated 
the  reach  of  the  new  policy:  but,  as  with  us,  and  as  natu- 
rally, the  manufacturing  towns  demand  to  be,  and  are 
promised  to  be,  fully  heard,  before  the  system  is  practically 
put  into  operation  i)i  1861.  The  paper  is  remarkable  for 
the  quarter  whence  it  comes,  and  is  the  third  in  the  series 
of  Manifestoes  by  which  its  author  has  marked  and  con- 
tinues to  mark,  in  advance,  every  leap  he  takes:  but  to 
this  public,  and  to  us,  '■'■  qui  ont  passes  par  Id,"  it  suggests 
nothing  very  forcible  or  new.  Half  an  eye  perceives  how 
much  this  movement  must  strengthen  the  alliance. 

We  have  dates  to  the  7th  instant,  and  yet  no  Speaker ! 
This  is  very  bad  in  reference  to  the  national  business 
and  interests: — but  in  its  bearing  upon  political  party, 
nothing  better  could  be  desired. 

The  Queen  comes  to  London  from  Windsor  on  Monday 
next,  the  23d,  to  open  Parliament  in  person,  at  2  o'clock 
on  the  following  day.  The  Premier's  summoning  missive 
to  the  Liberal  members  has  been  out  for  a  week.  It 
promises  immediate  and  important  measures  for  legisla- 
tion. Lord  Derby,  at  a  large  dinner  in  Liverpool  last 
night,  seems  to  anticipate  a  quiet  session. 

Mr.  Oliphant  has  made  two  volumes  of  considerable  iiv 
terest  and  attraction  out  of  Lord  Elgin's  mission,  particu- 


TO    MR.  CASS.  185 

larl}^  the  visit  to  Japan.  Though  he  credits  the  Earl,  his 
patron,  with  qualities  of  sagacity,  vigor,  and  tireless  ac- 
tivity, I  think  one  can  detect,  from  a  casual  word  dropped 
here  and  there,  that  the  private  Secretary's  opinion  leans 
towards  the  American  style  of  pacifically  opening  China 
to  commerce  and  intercourse.  It  is  a  part  of  the  art  of 
bookmaking,  however,  not  to  cloud  the  prospect  of  profit 
by  oftending  any  large  class  of  readers. 

After  all,  Macaulay  did  not  get  to  his  grave  through 
the  vast  folding  door  of  the  Abbey : — the  sublimation  of 
his  blood  was  too  recent  and  imperfect: — 

What  cmi  ennoble  knaves  or  fools  or  cowards  ? 
"What? — a  single  dro})  from  any  of  the  Howards  ! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  313.-TO  MR.  CASS. 

LoNUON,  January  27,  18*"iO. 

My  dear  Sir, — Her  Majesty's  Speech  on  opening  Par- 
liament is  of  more  length  and  interest  than  common.  I 
send  you  herewith  an  ofiicial  copy.  In  leaving  the  House 
of  Lords,  I  met  the  Duke  of  Newcastle,  Colonial  Secre- 
tary, who  said,  "Well!  you  see  we  reciprocated  the 
friendly  remarks  of  the  President !"  I  have  no  doubt  that 
was  the  design: — but  it  wOuld  be  highly  un-English  if,  in 
carrying  it  out,  they  did  not  employ  some  word,  or  take  a 
tone,  making  the  civil  intention  questionable. 

Earl  Grey,  though  he  argued  with  spirit  and  force, 
failed  to  get  the  support  of  Lord  Derby  to  an  amendment 
to  the  Address,  and  was  obliged  to  withdraw  it.  He 
wished  to  condemn  any  regulations  of  tariif  by  commer- 
cial treaty : — this  was  a  little  too  much  in  advance,  for  the 
one  made  with  France  through  the  active  agency  of  Mr. 
Cobden  had  not  been  communicated  to  Parliament,  and 
was  not  actually  perfected  by  signature  at  the  moment 
his  lordship  was  assailing  it. 

There  are  many  more  than  Mr.  Cobden  who  claim 
the  merit  of  having  converted  the  French  Emperor  to 
Free  Trade.  Michel  Chevallier  had  certainly  much  to 
do  with  it.     So  had   Baroche.     But  I   was  enlightened 


186  TO  MR.  CASS. 

by  a  long  visit  from  Count  Persigny,  who  coolly  and 
volubly  assumed  the  whole  exploit.  He  declares  that 
he  has  been  at  it  these  five  years:  that  he  developed, 
in  successive  elaborate  papers  sent  to  his  Majesty,  all 
the  ramifications  of  the  new  policy:  and  that  he  re- 
turned from  Paris  only  ten  days  ago,  after  a  final  and 
successful  exertion  of  his  personal  influence.  How  will 
history  decide  among  these  rivals  ?  Perhaps  she  may 
reach  the  conclusion  that  Prohibition  and  Protection 
yielded,  after  all,  more  to  the  Napoleonic  fondness  for 
change,  for  sudden  and  surprising  coups  d'etat,  than  to  the 
force  of  facts  or  logic. 

I  had  the  opportunity  last  evening  of  a  free  after-dinner 
chat  with  Lord  John  Russell  respecting  Mexico.  He  is 
much  at  a  loss  what  to  do:  has  little  confidence  in  the 
public  roen  of  that  country,  except  Juarez :  is  solicitous 
to  avoid  even  the  appearance  of  attacking  the  Monroe 
doctrine  by  intermeddling  with  their  distracted  condi- 
tion : — the  military  strength  of  both  contending  parties  is 
exhausted:  and  how  enough  energy  was  to  be  infused 
into  either  for  executive  government,  without  foreign  aid, 
it  was  impossible  to  see. 

The  Great  Eastern  maintains  her  title  of  "  The  Un- 
lucky:"— she  has  just  lost  Captain  Harrison,  drowned  in 
going  to  the  wharf,  and  her  shareholders  and  directors 
are  in  a  tempest  of  quarrel. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  314.-T0  ME.  OASS. 

London,  February  3,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  am  strongly  impelled,  by  a  modest 
sense  of  demerit,  not  to  send  you  the  enclosed  newspaper 
slip,  reporting  the  interpellation  of  Lord  John  Russell  by 
Mr.  Monckton  Milnes.  It  is,  however,  more  important 
that  you  should  see  exactly  where  the  proposed  Consular 
Convention  is,  than  that  I  should  indulge  mauvaise  honte. 
May  it  not  be  necessary  to  clothe  me  with  a  Full  Power 
for  the  special  occasion  ?     The  negotiator  does  not  mani- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  187 

fest  a  very  scrupulous  regard  for  the  technical  obstacles 
interposed  heretofore  by  the  Crown  Lawyers ;  and  indeed 
has  no  reluctance  to  being  esteemed  equal,  if  not  a  little 
superior,  in  their  own  specialiie,  to  any  of  them. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  perceive  that  a  good  deal  of  the 
eagerness  which  prevails  to  back  Bonaparte  against  the 
Pope  springs  rather  from  Protestant  bigotry  than  love  of 
Italian  liberty.  The  Vatican  is  an  old  and  preferred  tar- 
get for  all  the  Locksleys  of  the  press: — he  who  plants  a 
shaft  in  that  bull's-eye,  has  instantly  the  reward  of  a  gene- 
ral shout.  The  new  Encyclical  letter  exhibits  more  firm- 
ness than  was  predicated  of  Pio  l^ono.  It  has  obliged  the 
French  Emperor  summarily  to  suppress  the  leading  organ 
of  ultramontanism,  L'  linkers^  and  to  throw  himself  upon 
the  historical  loyalty  of  the  Galilean  Church.  He  does  so 
under  the  sanction  of  a  special  clause  in  the  existing  Con- 
stitution, and  with  graceful  forbearance  in  regard  to  the 
Holy  See.  But  Church  and  State  are  now  squarely  con- 
fronted, and  the  past,  decies  repetita,  tells  us  what  to  look 
for  as  inevitable. 

Your  charge  in  Paris  wnll  no  doubt  send  you  an  early 
copy  of  the  Anglo-franco  Commercial  treaty.  Portions  of 
it  have  got  into  the  journals  here:  -but  some  details  are 
still  elaborating  and  incomplete.  The  manufacturing  and 
mining  opposition  is  active,  impetuous,  and  outspoken  : — 
it  will  put  the  reforming  Emperor  to  a  sharp  trial. 

The  question  of  Savoy !  aj'e,  here  it  is  at  last.  More 
than  a  year  ago,  I  hazarded  the  "guess"  that  this  Duchy 
was  a  stimulant  to  the  anti- Austrian  appetite.  Well!  it 
is  sliding  into  France,  under  the  operation  of  a  quiet  con- 
tract entered  into  at  that  very  time  with  Victor  Emman- 
uel. The  secret  has  been  well  kept: — perhaps  it  would 
have  been  better  to  keep  it  so  still,  until  this  country  had 
got  more  completely  into  the  complicated  meshes  of  the 
entangling  alliance: — for  John  Bull  is  already  out  against 
his  immovable  nightmare,  anybody's  annexation  but  his 
own  ! 

"  The  Papal  Question  in  a  New  Light"  by  an  American  Dip- 
lomatist, is  printing  in  Paris,  and  is  from  the  pen  of  our  re- 
cent Minister  Resident  at  Lisbon,  Mr.  John  L.  O'Sullivan. 
The  "new  light"  seems  to  consist  in  discovering  the  iden- 
tity or  strong  analogy  between  the  District  of  Columbia 
under  our  Constitution  and  liome  under  the  plan  of  the 


188  TO  MR.  CASS. 

Guerroniere  pamphlet.     Only  two-thirds  of  it,  translated 
from  French,  have  reached  here. 

The  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer  opens  his  budget  on 
Monday  next,  the  6th  inst.  Royalty  quits  Windsor 
Castle  for  Buckingham  Palace  on  the  12th: — and  that 
infinitesimally  simple  measure,  the  Parliamentary  Reform 
bill,  comes  up,  for  the  first  time  since  the  world  began,  on 
the  2l8t  instant. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  315.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  February  10,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir.  — "  What  mighty  contests  rise  from 
trivial  things!"  Every  sort  of  mischief  seems  likely  to 
flow  from  the  ill-timed  hoarseness  of  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer.  On  Monday  last,  his  throat  refused  its 
mellifluous  tones  to  the  eulogy  of  the  budget: — he  dared 
not  venture,  with  a  croaking  voice,  on  a  permanent  in- 
come tax  of  nine-pence,  a  one-sided  tariff-treaty  with 
France,  and  an  appropriation  of  thirteen  millions  sterling 
for  the  navy  alone!  It  is  announced  as  possible  that  he 
may  undertake  the  task  this  evening.  In  the  mean  while 
discontent  has  so  accumulated  as  to  be  dangerous,  if  not 
altogether  impracticable.  The  delay  has  given  oppor- 
tunity to  coalition;  thence,  a  substantial  condemnation  of 
Cobden's  arrangement ;  thence,  a  change  in  the  govern- 
ment ;  thence,  coldness  or  quarrel  with  France ;  and 
thence,  finally,  a  general  war!  Extravagant  as  this  may 
seem,  I  do  assure  you  that  the  dismal  foreboding  is  seen, 
felt,  and  expressed  by  every  knot  of  politicians  at  the 
now  numerous  *$oirees : — and  all  the  series  of  disasters 
unanimously  attributed  to  the  sore  larynx  of  Mr.  Glad- 
stone. 

There  is  some  cause  for  suspecting,  in  the  present 
House  of  Commons,  a  diminution  in  the  zeal  for  Reform. 
On  the  night  before  last,  the  bill  for  abolishing  Church 
Rates,  sunk,  from  a  majority  six  months  ago  of  74,  down 
to  one  of  29 :  and  last  night,  the  ballot,  after  a  hostile  speech 
from  Lord  Palmerston,  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of  31. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  189 

These  votes,  united  with  the  sensitive  solicitude  of  Irish 
members  about  the  Pope,  tend  to  fresh  party  combi- 
nations fatal  to  the  present  ministry.  Lord  Derby  and 
his  friends  are  tranquilly  watching  the  course  of  inci- 
dents, quite  sure  that  the  pear  is  rapidly  ripening  and 
must  fixll  into  their  hands  before  two  months  elapse. 

You  will  have  noticed  that  the  Peers  were  unanimous 
and  tirm  against  the  annexation  of  Savoy  to  France.  The 
address  to  the  Queen  moved  by  Lord  Normanb}^  was  not 
pressed,  on  the  ground  that  it  gave  a  formality  to  the 
^jrotest  unnecessarily  offensive  to  the  Emperor.  Victor 
Emmanuel  and  Count  Cavour  hold  on  tightly  (as  yet)  to 
"  the  Cradle  of  the  Royal  House."  The  Parisian  press 
is  bent  on  forcing  their  grasp.  The  ministry  here,  after 
advising  against  the  acquisition,  are  really  indifferent,  not 
seeing  any  danger  in  it,  to  the  balance  of  power.  Louis 
Napoleon  seems  in  no  hurry  to  proclaim  his  purpose,  but 
all  the  world  knows  what  it  is,  and  are  quite  satisfied  that 
sooner  or  later  it  must  prevail. 

I  send,  to  occupy  a  cranny  in  your  departmental  library, 
a  small  volume  on  the  present  state  of  British  shipping. 
It  is  written  by  a  friend  of  mine,  a  member  of  the  House, 
a  large  ship-owner,  and  a  clear-headed  man.  His  leading 
object,  he  tells  me,  is  to  arrest  the  movement  towards  the 
restoration  of  the  Navigation  Acts. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  316 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  February  17,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  hurried  through  my  letter  this  da}' 
last  week  in  order  to  reach  the  House»of  Commons  in 
time  for  Mr.  Gladstone's  grand  performance  on  his  two- 
stringed  harmonium — the  Budget  and  the  Treaty.  He 
spoke  for  four  hours  uninterruptedly,  and  with  perfect 
mastery  of  his  complicated  subject;  the  very  personifica- 
tion of  self-convinced,  eager,  and  unrelenting  Free  Trade ! 
No  mercy  shewn  to  a  solitary  article  taxed  upon  the  prin- 
ciple of  protection  : — everything  of  the  sort  swept  scorn- 
fully to  the  rubbish  heap.     In  pushing  his  financial  plane 


190  TO  MR.  CASS. 

along  the  board,  lie  has,  here  and  there,  say  iron,  coal, 
hops,  and  ribbons,  cut  more  fiercely  and  deeply  than  is 
consistent  with  a  prudent  policy,  and  has  roused  a  hor- 
nets' nest  to  sting  his  tariff  in  every  quarter.  But  he  has 
left  his  victims  no  means  of  escape.  The  commercial 
compact  with  N^apoleon  and  the  entire  scheme  of  taxation 
are  Siamese  twins,  the  former  dragging  the  latter  over 
every  obstacle.  At  a  Conservative  caucus,  a  resolution 
fatal  to  the  ministry  on  this  topic  was  rumored  to  have 
been  adopted,  and  Mr.  Disraeli  was  said  to  be  sharpening 
his  weapon  for  a  home  thrust  on  Monday  next  the  IJOth^ 
instant.  I  have,  however,  reason  to  disbelieve  that  this 
was  the  strategy  finally  agreed  upon.  Lord  Derby  does 
not  wish  to  oust  his  rival  at  the  present  moment,  and 
throw  everything  into  sixes  and  sevens  with  France  sud- 
denly. The  demonstration  will  cautiously  avoid  putting 
the  enemy  to  flight.  The  debate  in  the  Lords  last  even- 
ing was  left  in  the  hands  of  secondary  men.  Earls  Airlie 
and  Grey,  and  was  signalized  by  the  absence  of  Lords 
Derby  and  Malmesbury,  although  founded  on  a  formal 
notice.     The  pear  is  not  ripe. 

You  will  notice  the  reply  given  last  evening  in  the  Com- 
mons to  Mr.  Liddell  upon  the  subject  of  our  Coasting 
Trade,  by  Lord  John  Russell.  Perhaps,  as  you  are  referred 
to,  I  had  better  send  you  the  enclosed  slip. 

His  lordship,  in  answering  Sir  Robert  Peel,  conveyed 
to  my  mind  the  conviction  that  what  I  heretofore  pre- 
dicted about  the  annexation  of  Savoy  to  France  cannot 
be  prevented.  Victor  Emmanuel  has  been  distinctly  ap- 
prised by  the  Emperor  that  if  his  power  and  dominion 
were  swollen  by  the  accession  of  Central  Italy,  the  Empire 
would  not  be  safe  with  the  Var  as  a  boundary.  Such  a 
notice  from  the  ally  who  is  working  out  the  aggrandize- 
ment of  Piedmont  involves  a  compact  not  to  be  disputed 
hereafter.  ♦ 

Lord  Elgin  goes  back  to  China  without  delay,  to  relieve 
his  brother  Mr.  Bruce,  with  whose  course  of  action  and 
despatch-writing  public  opinion  is  dissatisfied.  Mr.  Bruce 
indulged  unfairly  in  catering  to  what  he  thought  was  the 
diseased  appetite  of  the  Foreign  Office,  by  repeating  false 
and  frivolous  stories  of  Mr.  Ward's  contemptuous  treat- 
ment at  Pekin.  Lord  Elgin  is  sanguine  in  the  belief  that 
he  may  preserve  peace,  and  j)i'ofesses  that  to  be  his  sole 


TO  MR.  CASS.  191 

object.  Remembering  as  we  must  that  he  extorted  the 
Treaty  of  Tien-Tsin  from  Chinese  fear,  he  would  hardly 
seem  the  fittest  agent  for  a  friendly  mission. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  317.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  February  24,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — There  is  no  variation  in  the  political 
tune.  It  is  nothing  but  treaty  and  budget,  and  budget 
and  treaty,  at  all  times,  and  everywhere.  I  can  perceive 
only  a  slight  giving  way  on  the  part  of  the  Chancellor  of 
the  Exchequer: — he  sops  the  deep  and  dangerous  baying 
of  "the  Trade,"  i.e.  the  licensed  victuallers,  by  abandon- 
ing his  proposed  licensing  for  the  sale  of  beer,  confining 
it  to  wine.  With  this  small  exception,  he  pushes  his  entire 
scheme  with  perseverance  and  overshadowing  ability. 
His  firmness  is  bolstered  by  the  collateral  consciousness 
that  the  opposition  hold  in  extreme  dread  another  disso- 
lution of  Parliament,  The  technical  assault  of  Mr.  Dis- 
raeli on  Monday  last,  was  baffled  with  promptness.  The 
debate  may  be  extended  far  into  the  coming  week. 

There  prevails  something  like  a  superstitious  aversion 
on  both  sides  to  the  proposed  fight  between  Heenan  and 
Sayers,  for  the  Championship.  The  House  of  Commons 
will  probably  goad  the  government  into  preventive  energy. 
The  training  of  the  Benicia  Boy,  in  the  Isle  of  Skye,  is 
represented  as  admirable. 

The  Queen's  Levee  yesterday  was  amazingly  tedious 
and  uncomfortably  cold : — relieved  for  a  moment  by  the 
Royal  sword  descending  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  last 
explorer  for  Sir  John  Franklin.  The  knighthood  of  Cap- 
tain McClintock,  itself  a  mere  name,  closes  with  some- 
thing like  poetic  justice  this  long  protracted  drama  of 
sentiment. 

There  is  a  peculiar  numbness  (an  allowable  word?)  at 
this  moment  about  the  Italian  complications.  No  one 
can  say  how  they  stand.  An  occasional  theorist  antici- 
pates the  disclosure  of  a  compromise  between  the  Pope 


192  TO  MR.  CASS, 

and  the  Emperor.  Another  will  say  that  Napoleon  lingers 
only  until  the  Treaty,  Budget,  and  Alliance  are  beyond  a 
perad  venture. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  318 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  March  6,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — On  this  side  of  the  water,  the  mercury  in 
the  political  barometer  starts  upward  and  sinks  fast,  very 
suddenly.  The  avowal  of  the  Emperor  in  his  address  open- 
ing the  legislative  chamber  on  the  1st  instant,  certainly 
that  he  wanted  and  impliedly  that  he  would  have  Savoy, 
has  shocked  the  morality  so  unanimously  and  eloquently 
discoursed  for  a  fortnight  in  the  Palace  of  St.  Stephens. 
That  avowal  takes  iirmness  and  form  in  the  diplomatic 
notes  addressed  by  Monsieur  Thouvenel  to  the  French 
ministers  here  and  at  Turin.  Lords  Palmerston  and  Rus- 
sell are  deeply  committed  against  the  annexation :  and 
in  the  Commons  last  night  they  seemed  perplexed  in  the 
extreme  on  discovering  that  the  recently  negotiated  com- 
mercial treaty  was  in  danger  of  defeat  by  the  opposition 
as  a  primary  protest  against  enlarging  the  limits  of  France. 
Still,  I  do  not  think  Lord  Derby  and  his  wary  associates 
prepared  to  take  the  helm,  at  the  risk  of  encountering  at 
once  a  Galilean  tempest.  The  hour  for  that  has  not  yet 
struck: — but  they  do  much  to  consolidate  the  foundations 
of  their  party  and  to  give  it  a  European  position,  by  seiz- 
ing as  theirs  the  popular  dread  of  Napoleon's  designs. 
Already  there  are  symptoms  of  sensitive  vigilance,  if  not 
of  coalescing  jealousy,  in  the  intercourse  and  movements 
of  Russia,  Prussia,  Austria,  Germany,  and  Switzerland. 
This  repeated  "tilling  and  backing"  on  the  Italian  points 
of  policy  bewilders  interpretation  and  inculcates  the  ex- 
pediency of  a  general  "look-out." 

I  cannot  say  that  when  I  read  your  last  note  on  San 
Juan  (to  Lord  John)  there  was  the  slightest  indication  of 
8ur[)rise  or  vexation  on  the  part  of  her  Majesty's  minister. 
What  you  did  was  probably  expected :  or,  at  all  events,  Lord 
Lyons  had  written  enough  to  take  off  the  edge  of  aston- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  193 

ishment.  But,  if  Horace  had  not  written  Nil  admirari,  I 
should  he  inclined  to  ask,  is  it  not  wonderful  how  persist- 
ently and  variously  a  bad  cause  is  sometimes  pressed?  I 
went  on  Wednesday  last  to  the  reception  of  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society  at  the  residence  of  their  present 
President,  Eaal  de  Grey  and  Ripon,  late  Lord  Goderieh, 
and  what  do  you  think  "stared  me  in  the  face  with  rapid 
strides"? — On  the  wall  of  the  o;rand  stairway,  conspicuous 
to  the  eye  of  every  comer,  brilliant  in  coloring,  was  a 
gigantic  map  of  the  disputed  Island,  with  its  adjacent 
waters,  and  a  deeply  red  line,  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide'.,  run- 
ning, as  if  unalterably  convinced,  down  Rosario  Strait!  Now, 
his  lordship  is  not  merely  the  prseses  among  the  manufac- 
turers of  charts,  he  is  also  an  under  Secretary  of  State  for 
War !  This  sort  of  mural  dogmatism  can  only  deceive ; — 
for,  as  you  say,  Rosario  Strait  is  given  up:  the  nailing,  or 
plaistering,  a  coucededly  false  pretension  is  unworthy  a 
sage  or  statesman. 

The  French  papers  announce  that  your  Plenipotentiary 
(Mr.  Faulkner)  presented  his  credentials  to  the  Emperor, 
the  day  before  yesterday  (Sunday). 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  319.-T0  MR.  OASS. 

London,  March  9,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  have  too  recently  written  to  have  any 
thing  to  say. 

At  the  French  Embassy  on  Tuesday  evening  last  Count 
Persigny  took  the  trouble  to  detail  to  me  all  the  peculiar 
causes  which  justify  his  sovereign  in  annexing  Savoy,  or 
rather  the  ^'-slopes  of  the  Alps,''  and  the  extent  to  which 
he  has  been  exasperated,  not  alone  by  the  violent  abuse 
in  both  Houses  of  Parliament,  but  also  by  the  extraordi- 
nary diplomatic  notes  which  Lord  John  Russell,  ever 
since  July  last,  has  been  scattering  all  over  Europe,  in 
deprecation  of  that  resolutely  adopted  measure.  The  am- 
bassador looks  upon  the  state  of  things  as  threatening  a 
war  in  the  course  of  this  spring. 

The  question  of  the  treaty  will  be  decided  in  the  Com- 

VOL.  II. — 13 


194  TO  MR.  MARKOE, 

mons  to-night,  on  Mr.  Byng's  motion  for  an  address  to 
the  Qneen,  conveying  approbation.  I  do  not  doubt  the 
success  of  the  motion.  Apart  from  the  almost  unanimous 
aversion  to  permitting  France  to  have  any  of  the  Alpine 
passes,  the  ministry  is  overwhelmingly  strong. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  320.-T0  MK.  MAEKOE. 

London,  March  12,  1860. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Your  billet  of  the  21st  February 
struck  a  spur  into  my  intent,  and  caused  me  to  drive 
in  haste  to  one  of  the  queerest  and  dirtiest  little  alleys 
I  have  yet  seen  in  London.  You  marked  (as  everything 
delusive  is  now-a-days  marked)  with  a  '■^red  line,''  on  a 
certain  page  of  catalogue,  a  group  of  Facetias  as  worthy  of 
prompt  pursuit.  I  rushed  to  45  Booksellers'  Eow,  Strand; 
and,  would  you  believe  it  ?  the  precious  rarity  had  very 
recently  been  sold  and  no  other  copy  was  extant !  I  had 
to  find  consolation  in  shrugging  my  shoulders,  and  in 
gazing  with  wonder  at  the  countless  accumulations  of  old, 
weather-beaten,  black,  yellow,  stained,  greasy,  big  and 
diminutive  volumes,  encumbering  both  sides  of  the  narrow 
and  long  streetlet  into  which  I  had  picked  my  way  on  foot. 
Before  vanishing  from  Mr.  A.'sgloomy  literary  "  Curiosity 
shop,"  I  seized  the  accompanying  list  for  the  present 
March  from  off  his  ledge,  and  then  gaspingly  sought  a 
gulp  of  fresh  air. 

What  with  China,  French  Treaty,  San  Juan,  Savoy,  Im- 
perial Pamphlets,  Counteractive  Royal  Coalitions,  with  the 
lively  sessions  of  Parliament,  the  thoughts  of  diplomats  are 
whipped,  like  spinning  tops,  into  a  stand-still  of  ceaseless  ac- 
tivity. This  mission  is  very  different  from  that  at  St.  Peters- 
burg. There,  I  could  yawn  and  doze,  without  end : — here, 
not  an  hour  arrives  without  its  budget,  keeping  me  for- 
ever either  in  the  deeply  reflective  or  the  excitedly  quivive 
mood.  Which  post  is  the  better  ?  I  am  not  yet  old  and 
cold  enough  to  hesitate  in  preferring  this.  I  am  not  dis- 
posed to  be  dead  before  I  die.  After  all,  there  is  a  charm 
in  living  fast,  in  being  on  the  rack  of  vigilance,  eagerness, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  195 

hope,  and  hurrah,  which  goes  at  once  not  so  much  to  the 
heart,  as  to  the  immortal  spirit  within.  Of  course  I  am 
referring  to  the  enjoyments  and  bustle  of  the  intellect,  not 
to  those  of  sense.  London  has  an  immense  field  for  these, 
just  below  the  Court  and  above  the  Counter:  and,  in  that, 
range  vast  herds,  titled  and  untitled,  the  philosophers,  the 
litterateurs,  the  lawyers,  the  clergy,  the  editors,  the  politi- 
cians, the  experimentalists  on  matter,  mind,  and  morals, 
the  painters,  the  sculptors,  the  musicians,  the  agricultur- 
ists, the  florists,  the  photographers,  etc.,  etc.,  etc.  Any 
man  who  will  anchor  himself  in  this  tide  of  incessant  and 
roaring  movement,  and  give  himself  to  each  wave  of  the 
flood  as  it  passes,  must,  if  he  don't  run  mad,  expei-ience 
the  highest  degree  of  human  enjoyment.  All  this  is  the 
better  for  not  being  exclusively  English.  Every  country 
and  every  language  contribute  to  the  result.  And  all  of 
it  is  essentially  and  absolutely  apart  from  the  pantomimic 
finery  of  royalty,  or  the  grossness  of  mere  money-chang- 
ing. 'No  doubt,  the  individuals  have  each  and  all  their 
repulsive  qualities : — but  as  a  stirring  whole,  the  thing  is 
marvellous ! 

All  well.     Love  to  all. 

Ever  yrs. 


No.  321.-T0  MR.  CASS. 

London,  March  16,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  "  Manchester  School"  have  enabled 
Lord  Palmerston  to  give  two  signal  victories  to  the  Treaty 
of  Commerce  with  i'rance,  the  majority  in  the  Commons 
being  282  to  56,  and  in  the  Lords  68  to  38.  The  financial 
scheme  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  adapted  to  the  treaty,  proceeds 
almost  pari  passu,  and  we  already  read  in  the  shop-win- 
dows French  articles  for  sale  "  duty  off"." 

If  history  does  repeat  itself,  there  are  always  some 
modifications,  some  slight  shades  of  difference.  That 
Bonaparte  should  bag  Savoy,  even  with  contemptuous 
disregard  of  the  European  Chart  of  1815,  is  natural 
enough; — that  he  should  do  it,  however,  simultaneously 
with  the  closest  embrace  he  has  yet  accorded  to  England, 
has   a   spice    of  novelty  quite  piquante.     Such   harmony 


1^  TO  MR.  CASS. 

in  defiance  of  the  "balance  of  power"  and  the  annals  of 
centuries,  is  wonderful. 

Poor  Switzerland  points  to  the  gash  in  her  side  for 
ruin's  wasteful  entrance  and  shrieks  in  vain  for  help! 
Victor  Emmanuel,  having  attained  the  full  proportions  of 
manhood,  parts  with  his  "cradle"  without  a  sigh.  And 
the  Savoyards,  true  to  their  wandering  instincts,  are 
rather  eager  than  otherwise  for  the  change  of  position. 

The  prevailing  excess  of  the  entente  cordiale  is  worth 
watching.  It  may  suggest  the  expediency  of  a  less 
friendly  tone  with  us.  Our  cotton  surpasses  General 
Scott  as  a  great  paciiicator: — but  the  new  Convention, 
opening  vast  markets  for  coal  and  iron,  inspires  exulta- 
tion. In  the  Tim.es  of  yesterday  you  will  find  the  follow- 
ing lusty  words :  "  San  Juan  American,  and  Vancouver's 
Island  and  Columbia  British,  are  incompatible  with 
peace."  Heretofore  there  has  been  a  chime  of  pens  and 
presses,  representing  the  material  relations  of  the  two 
countries  as  rendering  war  between  them  impossible.  Let 
us  see  whether  a  variation  is  to  be  struck. 

I  have  just  had  a  visit  from  Mr .  He  has  so  ab- 
sorbed me  by  descriptions  of  everything  and  everybody 
at  home,  as  to  oblige  me  to  cut  short  this  note.  His  con- 
versational powers,  always  great,  seem  greater  than  ever. 
He  goes  to  his  consulate  at  Havre  to-morrow,  by  way  of 
Paris. 

The  season's  circulation  in  what  is  termed  high  life 
will  experience  a  damp  (iheck  from  the  death,  two  days 
ago,  of  the  Countess  of  Granville,  wife  of  the  President 
•of  the  Privy  Council.     She  was  a  general  favorite. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  322 -TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  March  27,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — At  the  House  of  Commons  last  night, 
I  listened  to  an  outburst  from  Lord  John  Russell  singu- 
larly at  war  with  the  Treaty  of  Commerce  and  pregnant 
with  danger  to  the  Alliance.  It  was,  at  the  instant,  pro- 
voked by  a  charge  of  "truckling"  from  Mr.  Horsman  ; 


TO  MR.  CASS.  197 

and  it  announced,  on  the  part  of  the  ministry,  as  the  con- 
sequences of  recent  negotiations  with  France  respecting 
Savoy,  the  loss  of  all  confidence  in  the  assurances  of  the 
Emperor,  and  the  duty  of  avoiding  isolation  in  Europe  by 
at  once  forming  connections  with  other  continental  Powers 
interested  in  preserving  the  general  balance.  I  have 
seen  this  movement  preparing  for  a  week  past.  Lord  John 
has  probably  replied  to  the  despatch  of  Mr.  Thouvenel 
whose  contents  he  refused  to  state,  with  the  animation 
called  for  by  a  haughty  tone.  The  Times  has  surprised 
its  readers  during  four  or  five  days  with  pungent  articles 
on  "fourberies  de  Scapin,"  "tricks  of  Figaro,"  and  "in- 
solence" of  the  new  French  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 
Considering  the  relations  subsisting  between  the  leading 
writers  of  this  journal,  and  the  chiefs  of  the  cabinet,  these 
pieces  could  only  be  regarded  as  preliminary  to  a  foregone 
conclusion  soon  to  be  disclosed.  The  opposition  loudly 
cheered:  one  of  whom,  while  complimenting  the  perseve- 
rance of  the  mutinous  Liberals,  expressed  a  hope  that,  see- 
ing the  manly  and  patriotic  course  at  last  taken,  govern- 
ment would  now  be  unanimously  sustained  in  upholding 
what  were  strongly  asserted  to  be  the  interests,  honor, 
safety,  and  sentiments  of  the  British  People.  All  this 
may,  according  to  the  genius  of  our  epoch,  blow  over: — 
a  few  honeyed  drops  of  soothing  recantation  from  the  lips 
of  pre-eminent  power  may  appease  the  rising  storm  :  but 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  irrevocable  bolt  has  been 
shot,  and  that  while  Lord  John  remains  in  his  present  post, 
Napoleon  will  consider  this  country  as  inimical  and  at  work 
everywhere  to  thwart  his  views  and  restrict  his  influence. 
It  really  would  seem,  according  to  the  old  couplet,  that 

The  pleasure  is  as  great 

Of  being  cheated  as  to  cheat, 

for  our  acute  countrymen  almost  hurry  to  be  duped  b}' 
the  rogues  on  this  side  the  Atlantic.  They  apparently 
like  being,  as  lambs  in  hot  weather,  affectionately  fleeced. 
Your  letter  on  the  newly  contrived  and  extensive  fraud 
reached  me  after  I  had  received  a  number  of  eagerly  enquir- 
ing notes,  and  after  I  had  thoroughly  ascertained  the  fea- 
tures, though  not  the  authors  of  the  conspiracy.*     This  is 

*  The  contrivance  was  of  the  following  fashion,  and  singularly  success- 
ful.   The  conspirators  in  London  ascertained  the  residences  of  individuals 


19S  TO  MR.  CASS. 

about  the  tenth  swindle  which  has  invoked  my  detective  fac- 
ulties. Of  course,  artful  and  audacious  rascals  prearrange 
to  mystify  and  baffle  pursuit : — and  I  do  not  believe  in  the 
existence  of  police  skill  adequate  to  ferret  out  and  bring 
to  punishment  the  plotters  of  so  wide  ranged,  and  as  it 
were  international  a  scheme  of  pocket-pickiag  as  this. 
The  knaves  reckon  much  and  naturally  upon  the  indispo- 
sition to  throw  good  money  after  bad:  then,  uncertainties 
of  success  give  to  distances  an  insurmountable  aspect. 
But,  nous  verrons. 

Admiral  Van  Dockum  has  ceased  to  represent  Denmark 
at  this  Court;  and  Mr.  Eille,  the  younger,  whom  we  have 
known  at  Washington  for  many  years,  took  the  post  of 
Plenipotentiary  some  five  days  ago. 

I  have  just  got  the  private  note  of  which  a  copy  is  sub- 
joined from  Lord  Clarence  Paget,  first  Secretary  of  the 
Admiralty;  and  I  must  beg  you  to  request  Mr.  Toucey 
to  have  the  document  therein  referred  to,  if  there  be  such 
a  one,  forwarded  to  me  as  promptly  as  possible.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  find  anything  of  the  sort  among  the  books 
and  papers  sent  to  me. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  323.-T0  ME.  CASS. 

London,  March  30,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Pardon  me  for  expressing  a  hope  that 
you  have  not  forgotten  to  obtain  for  me  from  Mr.  Toucey 
the  Report  on  our  Naval  Dock  Yards  requested  by  Lord 
Clarence   Paget.      Our   countrymen   are    so    constantly, 

in  most  of  the  American  States  from  local  Directories.  They  sent  by 
post  numberless  letters  carefully  addressed  to  all  parts  of  the  Union, 
especially  to  the  interior.  Each  letter  stated  that  the  writer  had  acci- 
dentally discovered  a  Will  or  an  Estate  in  which  it  appeared  thathiscor- 
respondent  was  largely  interested  : — that  a  claim  if  promptly  asserted 
could  be  maintained  upon  accessible  evidence  :  and  that  if  it  were  wished 
that  he  should  investigate  records  or  collect  proofs,  he  was  ready  to  do  so 
on  receiving  a  trifling  amount  of  money,  say  five  or  ten  dollars,  with  which 
to  meet  preliminary  fees  or  expenses.  The  bump  of  credulity  and  the 
smallness  of  the  sum  required  made  the  suggestion  irresistible  to  thousands, 
who  could  not  too  quickly  transmit  their  cash  to  the  appointed  place. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  199 

through  me,  getting  information  of  all  kinds  from  the 
depths  of  the  public  offices  here,  that  I  feel  it  to  be  a 
duty  to  reciprocate  whenever  I  can. 

At  the  Queen's  Levee  on  Wednesday  the  28th  instant, 
the  Premier  took  occasion  to  converse  about  the  Slave 
Tmde.  He  expressed  himself  much  gratified  on  noticing 
the  promising  plans  you  were  preparing  to  pursue: — say- 
ing that  the  great  difficulty  arose  from  the  facility  yielded 
to  the  traffic  by  Cuba,  and  intimating  that,  as  toe  objected 
to  meddle  with  any  vessel  not  carrying  our  Flag,  and  they 
had  promised  not  to  meddle  with  any  tbat  did  carrj-  it,  per- 
haps the  most  effective  plan,  off  that  island,  would  be  for 
the  cruisers  of  the  two  nations,  as  he  termed  it,  "  to  hunt  in 
couples,"  the  British  cruiser  overhauling  and  examining 
all  vessels  bearing  colors  not  ours,  and  leaving  the  rest 
to  us.  I  mention  this  because  Lord  Palmerston  appeared 
to  hold  the  idea  as  a  favorite  one,  to  be  matured  and  form- 
ally proposed :  and  because  it  involves  a  striking  recogni- 
tion anew  of  the  position  you  have  enforced. 

A  Liberal  Conservative  Lnsh  M.  P.  interpellates. Lord 
John  Russell  this  evening  on  the  condition  of  the  San 
Juan  question.  It  will  not  be  in  my  power  to  attend: — 
but  I  presume  that  his  lordship  will  decline  for  the  present 
any  disclosure,  unless  indeed  he  regard  your  last  as  closing 
the  negotiation,  which  is  very  unlikely.  His  troubles  seem 
to  crovi^d  thick  upon  him  just  now.  Nothing  livelier  than 
the  agitation  in  the  little  diplomatic  hive  produced  by  his 
anti-Napoleonic  explosion  on  Monday  last.  Persigny  pale 
with  passion,  and  the  really  stingless  cluster  of  German 
Envoys  buzzing  unceasingly  with  a  singular  mixture  of 
enjoyment  and  alarm  ! 

I  must  not  omit  to  state  what  it  was  pleasing  to  hear, 
when  on  Wednesday  I  dined  at  Buckingham  Palace. 
During  the  conversation,  which  on  such  occasions,  after 
the  table  is  left,  always  takes  place  between  the  Queen 
and  her  guests,  her  Majesty  enquired  with  the  utmost 
kindness  about  tVie  President  and  Miss  Lane: — she  was 
happy  to  hear  of  their  continued  health.  I  assured  her 
that  both  would  be  delighted  to  know  that  they  were  thus 
remembered. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  proceeds  to  Canada  in  July.  His 
younger  brother  Alfred  the  midshipman,  wishes  to  accom- 
pany him,  but  probably  will  not  be  allowed  to  do  so. 


coo  TO  LADY  H. 

The  Duke  of  I^ewcastle,  Secretary  for  the  Colonies,  and 
Lord  St.  Germans,  Lord  Steward,  will  go.  The  future 
King  and  his  party  will,  I  have  reason  to  believe,  visit 
Washington.     Should  there  be  an  invitation? 

The  day  assigned  for  Lord  Elgin  and  Baron  Gros  to 
embark  at  Marseilles  for  China,  is  the  12th  of  April.  He 
did  not  however  appear  surprised  when  I  suggested  the 
possibility  that  existing  complications  with  France  might 
stop  him  altogether. 

1  had  the  pleasure  to  introduce  yesterday,  atliis  request, 
your  minister  in  Madrid  to  Lord  John  Russell.  Mr.  Pres- 
ton's picture  of  his  Spanish  residence  is  not  very  flatter- 
ing. He  will  cross  tlie  Atlantic  in  company  with  this 
note: — and,  as  he  moves  energetically  and  rapidly,  may 
reach  Washington  as  soon. 

There  is  a  rumor  just  from  New  York,  that  Cuba  is  at 
3'our  disposal,  though  the  price  is  not  fixed.  Bonaparte 
may  have  encouraged  the  substitution  of  a  colony  in 
Morocco  for  the  precarious  one  in  the  Antilles.  The 
rumor  will  require  much  confirmation  before  it  gains 
belief. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  324.-T0  LADY  H. 

London,  April  5,  1860. 

My  DEAR  Lady  H., — Allow  me  to  express  very  cordial 
thanks  for  your  note  of  last  week,  respecting  the  auto- 
graphs placed  in  Leicester  Square  for  sale  at  auction. 

I  could  not  find  time  until  yesterday  to  visit  these  inter- 
esting relics.  The  signatures  of  Washington  and  Lord 
North  are  particularly  attractive  from  historical  associa- 
tion and  relation.  The  bold  broad  hand  of  the  former 
seems  to  contrast  rebeUiously  with  the  delicate  and  tiny 
calligraphy  of  the  latter. 

Again,  many  thanks,  very  faithfully  and  most  respect- 
fully yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  201 


No.  325.-TO  ME.  CASS. 


London,  April  6,  1800. 

My  dear  Sir, — Parliament,  at  the  instance  of  Lord  Pal- 
merston,  acljoarnecl  over  on  the  night  of  the  3d  to  the  14th 
instant,  that  is,  for  the  Easter  Holidays.  The  niemhers 
of  both  Houses  are  now  distributed  all  over  the  kingdom 
and  in  the  continental  capitals.  They  left  London  at  the 
moment  when  the  relations  of  the  Foreign  Office  were 
disturbed  by  despatches  from  Mons.  Thouvenel  to  Mr. 
Persigny,  and  by  an  unexpectedly  bold  declaration  from 
Lord  John  Russell  that  other  allies  than  France  must  be 
sought  for.  Let  us  see  in  what  mood  they  will  reassemble. 
Those  who  stop  in  Paris,  to  assist  at  the  grand /(?te  of  her 
Imperial  Majesty,  or  to  chat  wnth  Mr.  Cobden,  will  prob- 
ably have  their  "  fretful  porcupine"  quills  smoothed  gently 
to  their  usual  level.  The  Nephew^  is  less  irritably  explo- 
sive than  the  Uncle,  with  equal  tenacity  of  aim. 

Spain  is  perhaps  a  reasonably  good  "quarter  racer." 
She  has  shewn  herself  capable  of  a  vigorous  eifort,  of  mili- 
tary skill,  and  of  courage: — but  she  has  tired  soon.  The 
Treaty.of  Peace  with  the  Moors  is  not  what  O'Donnell  was 
expected  to  dictate;  and  it  will  probably  throw  a  shadow 
over  his  returning  ovation.  You  of  course  notice  that, 
almost  simultaneously  with  the  capture  of  the  two  steam- 
ers off  Vera  Cruz,"  the  Governor  of  the  Balearic  Isles, 
Ortega,  attempted  a  rebellious  dash  at  the  Crown  of 
Queen  Isabella  and  the  inauguration  of  Don  Carlos !  This 
political  pimple  does  .not  appear  to  have  been  thrown  to 
the  surface  by  any  interior  humors,  and  has  exhaled  of 
itself: — Ortega  being  chased  by  his  own  troops,  no  one 
can  say  whither. 

A  Papal  Excommunication.cannot  be  regarded  as  mere 
brutum  falmen  as  long  as  millions  of  devoted  Roman  Catho- 
lics are  to  be  found  in  almost  every  country.  Napoleon 
is  alive  to  this: — and  he  hurries  to  exclude  the  lightning 
from  his  empire,  by  invoking  an  old,  nearly  obsolete  law 
which  prohibits  the  publication  of  foreign  ecclesiastical 
acts  without  special  license.  To  be  sure,  he  is  not  "  nom- 
inated in  the  bond  :" — neither  is  Victor  Emmanuel,  nor  in 
fact  any  one  else: — but  it  is  difficult  to  discriminate  be- 


202  TO  MR.  CASS. 

tween  their  respective  offences: — the  alleged  crime  of 
despoiling  the  patrimony  of  St.  Peter  is  flagrant, — don't 
the  world  know  "?«/io  have  taken  part"  ?  who  ^^perpetrated," 
'■'■  warranted  "  ^^  supported"  ^'■helped"  ^^  counselled"  "-followed" 
'■^connived  at"  it?  Well,  they  are  all  comprehensively  and 
indiscriminately  anathematized  and  scourged  out  of  the 
Church'.     Take  an  illustration  of  the  immense  influence 

of  the  Vatican : — the  Duchess  of ,  the  granddaughter 

of  Charles  Carroll,  ending  her  life  in  the  quiet  rural  con- 
tentment of  Protestant  England,  is  said  to  have  just  sent 
the  Holy  Father  a  cadeau  of  a  thousand  guineas !  Rest 
assured  that  we  shall  hear  a  great  deal  more  than  we  have 
yet  heard  of  the  potency  of  this  thunder. 

An  appeal  to  the  Detective  or  ordinary  Police  respecting 
the  frauds  upon  our  citizens  involves  so  large  an  expend- 
iture, and  so  much  official  distraction  and  embarrassment, 
that  I  hesitate  in  believing  that  you  intended  both  should 
be  incurred.  The  falsehood  and  swindling  character  of 
the  pretence  have  been  completely  ascertained,  and  I  have 
written  some  dozen  letters  home  upon  the  sulDJect.  Per- 
haps a  short  warning  in  the  Constitution  and  Intelligencer , 
which  proved  effectual  in  a  similar  case  about  two  years 
ago,  might  save  many  a  man  his  four  dollars.  But  can 
the  government  be  reasonably  expected  to  go  farther? 
The  mischief  lies  in  the  facility  with  which,  in  spite  of  all 
experience,  our  good  countrymen  allow  themselves  to  act 
at  once  upon  the  faith  of  a  boldly  made  promise.  If 
they  would  only  take  the  precaution,  l)efore  parting  with 
their  money,  to  write  to  the  legation,  through  your  de- 
partment, or  directly,  they  would  be  shielded  from  the 
contrivances  of  rogues.  If  in  your  name  I  complain  to 
Lord  John  Russell  of  the  conspiracy,  or  in  any  other  man- 
ner set  the  ball  of  criminal  enquiry  and  punishment  going, 
I  commit  the  government  to  a  responsibility  for  charges 
whose  amount  has  no  limit,  and  I  also,  I  fear,  subject  my- 
self and  the  secretaries  and  the  archives,  to  the  annoy- 
ance of  judicial  process.  I  can,  and  do,  set  a  subpoena  at 
defiance,  as  incompatible  with  my  extra-territorial  posi- 
tion:— but  if  I  volunteer  to  begin  the  hunt,  what  then? 
Pray  think  for  a  moment  on  these  practical  suggestions. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  CASS.  203 


No  326 -TO  MR.  CASS. 

London,  April  18,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Notwithstanding  the  imdeviating  and 
stern  course  adopted,  the  ^^revendication"  of  Savoy  has  its 
difficulties.  I  had  the  honor  yesterday  of  a  visit  from 
Mr.  de  la  Rive,  the  Swiss  representative,  and  was  much 
gratified  by  the  candor  and  fulness  of  his  conversation. 
He  considers  his  country  in  great  danger,  and  fears  that, 
after  what  has  been  done,  the  Emperor  will  find  himself 
unable  to  give  her,  in  the  direction  of  Geneva,  the  securi- 
ties which,  by  the  unanimous  resolution  of  all  parties, 
she  is  determined  to  exact.  Mr.  Persigny,  to  be  sure,  has 
encouraged  him  to  hope  that  ISTapoleon  will  transfer  an 
adequate  circuit  of  territory  to  the  Republic,  the  inviola- 
bility of  which  may  be  guarantied  by  a  Congress.  But 
he  has  the  "  mistrust"  spoken  of  by  Lord  John  Russell,  and 
inclines  to  believe  that  Helvetian  safety  will  ultimately 
have  to  be  sought  in  an  armed  coalition  with  Germany, 
Prussia,  Austria,  and  Russia.  He  is  here  to  demonstrate 
the  rights  and  perils  of  Swiss  neutrality  : — ^erAops  England 
may  be  persuaded  to  throw  something  in  the  balance 
weightier  than  mere  remonstrance.  An  article  of  much 
force  in  the  Edinburgh  Heview  of  the  present  month  rather 
favors  that  "perhaps." 

Our  papers,  I  perceive,  anticipate  some  pleasurable  stir 
from  the  visit  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  It  is  thought  here 
that  he  will  hasten  back,  and  may  probably  only  see 
Boston  on  his  way  to  rejoin  his  ship.  He  is  an  ingenuous, 
good-looking  lad ;  in  expression  taking  after  his  mother, 
and  in  quiet  polished  tone  of  manner  after  his  father. 
An  article  in  a  New  York  journal  intimating  the  pro- 
priety and  policy  of  his  being  invited,  has  been  reprinted 
here  ;  a  symptom  of  the  sensitive  attachment  universally 
felt  for  the  Queen  and  her  children. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


204  TO  MR.  CASS. 


No.  327 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  April  20,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Had  Doctor  Franklin  been  in  the  House 
of  Peers  last  ni^bt  he  would  have  found  repeating  the 
same  favorite  abuse  of  America  to  which  he  listened 
nearly  a  hundred  years  ago  in  the  gallery  of  the  Com- 
mons. Pray  read  the  speech  of  Earl  Grey ;  and  observe 
with  wbat  oily  unction  he  hands  our  present  generation, 
from  its  highest  to  its  humblest  branch,  to  the  mercies 
of  the  common  hangman.  Your  people  are  venal,  cor- 
rupt, and  brutal:  your  State  and  Federal  judiciary  are  de- 
moralized and  sunk:  your  legislatures,  local  and  con- 
gressional, are  mere  spoilsmen,  except  when  they  are 
also  ruffians  :  and  your  President  himself  and  his  cabinet 
are  all  floating  in  this  ordure  of  crime  !  The  excommu- 
nication is  thorough.  And  on  what  bald  pretence  is  this 
wholesale  anathema  of  a  nation  founded? — simply  on  the 
fact  that  Lord  John  Russell's  proposed  measure  of  reform 
lowers  the  franchise  from  XIO  to  6  !  It  is  difficult  to 
trace  the  connection,  but  that  matters  not: — the  oppor- 
tunity was  seized,  if  not  made,  to  crucify  transatlantic 
democracy.  His  lordship  overshot  his  mark, — so  the 
Earl  of  Granville  told  him — and  he  runs  the  risk  of  being 
permanently  coupled  in  our  aftectionate  remembrances 
with  Attorney-General  Wedderburne. 

A  vague  uneasiness  prevails  as  to  the  state  of  affairs  on 
the  Continent.  Nor  can  this  government  with  any  cer- 
tainty say  whether  their  relations  with  the  Emperor  of 
France  are  amicable  or  repulsive.  Events  are  hurrying 
on,  especially  in  Italy,  which  must  ripen  to  something 
definitive  before  a  month  is  out.  On-dits  or  canards 
are    countless.      Among   these,   a   gentleman  just   from 

Paris  (Mr. of  the  Edinburgh  Review)  reports  that  La- 

moriciere  has  Bonaparte's  sanction  for  enlisting  in  the 
Papal  service,  that  the  French  troops  are  not  to  be  with- 
drawn from  Rome,  and  that  it  is  doubtful  whether  the 
mutual  confidence  between  the  Emperor  and  Victor  Em- 
manuel can  be  prolonged. 

I  forgot,  in  my  brief  critique  of  Lord  Grey's  thunder, 
that  he  attributed  to  this  mighty  monarchy  an  amiable 


TO  MR.  CASS.  205 

tendency  to  treat  ns  as  "spoilt  children."  The  Treat}^  of 
'83  was  a  concession  to  "spoilt  children;" — we  were,  like 
"spoilt  children,"  permitted  to  flog  our  parent  in  1813- 
'14 : — the  dismissal  of  Crampton  was  overlooked  as  the 
act  of  "  spoilt  children  :"  and  our  arrogant  diplomacy  was 
only  tolerated  because  we  are  "spoilt  children."  Such 
phrases  as  these  are  alike  unworthy  of  the  scene,  the  sub- 
ject, and  the  speaker : — rankling  as  venom  in  the  hearts  of 
individuals,  yet  puerile  as  regards  the  country. 

Our  disagreeable  weather  has  continued  until  one  does 
nothing  but  abuse  the  everlasting  N^or'-Easter! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  328.-TO  MK.  OASS. 

London,  April  27,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — I  found  great  pleasure  in  reading,  four 
times  over,  your  despatch,  to  which  the  private  letter 
of  the  5th  instant  refers.  There  was  nothing  which  hy- 
percriticism  could  wish  to  alter.  Pray  take  it  for  granted 
that  I  am  not  liable  to  be  tired  with  reading  any  despatch 
of  yours,  however  "lengthy:"  on  the  contrary,  it  is  both 
useful  and  agreeable,  as  in  the  effort  to  convey  the  con,- 
tents  justly  to  another,  I  become  more  thoroughly  mas- 
■ter  of  them  myself,  and  moreover  take  a  certain  amuse- 
ment in  witnessing  their  legitimate  effects  upon  the 
listener. 

Until  the  last  four  months  I  doubted  the  existence  of 
eloquence  in  England.  Mr.  Gladstone  and  Sir  Bulwer 
Lytton  have  dispelled  the  doubt,  by  performances  equal 
in  force,  beauty,  and  versatility  to  anything  of  Brinsley 
Sheridan's.  The  Quarterly  Review.,  no  friendly  critic,  pro- 
nounces the  former's  four  hours'  speech  on  the  Budget, 
"  the  finest  combination  of  reasoning  and  declamation  that 
has  ever  been  heard  within  the  walls  of  the  House  of 
Commons:" — and  again,  "we  find  ourselves  in  the  en- 
chanted region  of  pure  Gladstonism,  that  terrible  combi- 
nation of  relentless  logic  and  dauntless  imagination." 
Bulwer,  in  assailing  the  Reform  bill  last  night,  rose  to  the 
same  level.     I  cannot  venture  to  predict  the  fate  of  that 


206  TO  MR.  CASS. 

measure: — it  is  so  moderate,  that  enthusiasm  cannot  be 
roused  on  its  behalf: — if  the  vote  were  taken  by  ballot,  it 
would  be  defeated,  bat  the  ayes  and  noes  on  a  division 
are  a  formidable  ordeal  for  those  who  love  their  seats. 

Bad  and  unwholesome  weather  prolonged  beyond  all 
season.  Everybody  is  victimized  by  rheumatism  or  uvula 
in  some  shape. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  329.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  4,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — On  what  is  termed  "the  San  Juan"  diffi- 
culty, Lord  John  Russell  was  last  night  "interpellated" 
by  Mr.  Fitzgerald.  If  my  knowledge  of  facts  be  correct, 
there  is  much  indistinctness  and  confusion  in  his  reply. 
I  send  it. 

The  Reform  bill  staggers  along.  The  second  reading 
is  carried,  but  farther  progress  was  suspended,  amid  loud 
jeering  from  the  opposition,  until  the  4th  of  June  next. 
The  enemies  of  the  measure  have  taken  great  pains,  in 
both  Houses  of  Parliament,  to  ventilate  their  hatred  of 
American  institutions,  laws,  and  manners.  Indeed,  that 
course  of  atrabilious  remark  is  rather  cheered  and  encour- 
aged by  a  large  majority  of  both  parties.  We  must  manage 
to  survive  and  smile : — especially  as  we  are  apt  to  give  as 
hard  as  we  receive. 

On  the  Continent  there  would  seem  to  be 'a  momentary 
lull.  Everybody,  however,  regards  it  as  the  stillness  which 
precedes  the  storm.  Each  new  day  is  expected  to  develope 
the  coming  couj)  A  fresh  map  of  Europe  lies  upon  the 
table  of  every  Parisian  editor. 

I  am  earnestly  exhorted  by  a  gentleman  whom  I  do  not 
know  and  never  heard  of,  to  inculcate  upon  my  country- 
men the  duty  and  policy  of  intervening  to  stop  the  atrocious 
massacres  committing  in  Sicily  by  Bomba  Junior.  He 
hopes  nothing  for  the  cause  of  humanity  from  England  or 
France,  but  looks  to  us. 

Our  friend  Mr.  W.  Beech  Lawrence,  of  Rhode  Island, 
has  just  issued  a  brochure  in  Paris,  a  light  well-written 


TO  MR.  CASS.  207 

essay,  to  vindicate  the  Southern  form  of  labor,  and  to 
show  its  necessity  if  the  new  commercial  policy  of  the 
Emperor  is  to  be  carried  out.  The  "  Amis  cles  Noirs"  are 
quite  as  numerous  in  France  as  here,  and  equally  inacces- 
sible to  reason.  Those  of  the  Debats  refused  to  pub- 
lish any  piece  extenuating  negro  slavery: — and,  under  a 
sense  of  duty,  he  has  flung  out  his  pamphlet. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  330 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  11,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  descent  of  Garibaldi  upon  Sicily, 
with  a  force  not  exceeding  2000,  re-enacts  the  enterprise 
of  distant  centuries.  He  has  managed  with  equal  skill 
and  boldness :  allowing  nothing  to  be  suspected  until  he 
had  pushed  to  sea,  with  all  his  companions,  and  securing 
a  longer  start  ahead  by  cutting,  on  the  instant  of  depart- 
ure, all  the  loquacious  electric  wires  in  reach.  The  Island 
is  rampant  with  insurrection,  which  his  presence  will  or- 
ganize and  lead  to  success.  Already  the  restricting  epithet 
"iN'orth"  is  deemed  misplaced  in  the  title  of  the  new 
Italian  kingdom. 

Mr.  Gladstone's  budget  was  uncomfortably  near  a  fatal 
blow  on  the  evening  of  Tuesday  last.  In  a  House  of  428 
he  carried  the  repeal  of  the  paper  duty  by  a  majority  of 
nine  o\\\y.  Another  such  victory,  and  the  opposition  will 
be  encouraged  to  a  formidable  assault. 

Observe  the  affectionately  polished  terms  in  which  Earl 
Grey  and  Lord  John  Russell  cut  each  other  up  in  a  series 
of  private  though  published  notes.  How  worthy  of  imita- 
tion by  our  pugnacious  members!  •  "Dear  Lord  John^" 
"Dear  Lord  Grey:" — can  anything  be  more  charming 
than  this  mode  of  pinning  baseness  and  falsehood  upon 
each  other? 

Although  you  w^ould  not  tell  me,  I  have  known  for 
some  time,  through  Mr.  Isturitz,  that  you  decline  taking 
any  part  in  a  Congress  to  deliberate  on  the  means  of  effec- 
tually extinguishing  the  Slave  Trade.     I  had  been  called 


208  TO  MR.  a  J.  INGERSOLL. 

upon  by  a  diplomat  some  time  ago  on  this  subject.  He 
said  his  government  would  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
United  States:  and  after  much  conversation,  he  added — 
"Let  me  put  a  question:  suppose  my  government  to  ac- 
cept Lord  John  Russell's  invitation,  how  would  you  re- 
gard her  conduct?"  I  answered  instantly,  "As  un-Ameri- 
can and  unfriendly."  "  Am  I  at  liberty  to  write  home  to 
that  effect?"  "Certainly,  as  an  expression  of  my  individ- 
ual sentiment  and  belief:  the  United  States  can  never 
consent  to  be  swamped  in  a  European  Congress: — in  poli- 
tics, we  must  be  w^ary  not  to  dovetail  the  two  continents." 
From  all  I  hear,  this  fresh  eflbrt  to  get  a  tribune  whence 
to  lecture  the  nations  on  religion  and  humanity  will  fail. 
Lord  John  will  take  nothing  by  his  motion. 

Alw^ays  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  331.-TO  MR,  0.  J.  INGERSOLL. 

London,  May  21,  1860. 

Dear  Sir, — Your  letter  of  the  12th  ultimo  led  me,  in 
frequent  conversations  with  eminent  gentlemen,  to  seek 
a  distinct  answer  to  the  question  on  British  constitutional 
law  which  it  proposed.  Is  there,  in  the  making  of  leagues 
or  treaties,  a  clearl}^  defined  line  between  the  prerogative 
of  the  Crown  and  the  power  of  Parliament?  Without 
undertaking  a  dull  and  minute  course  of  discrimination, 
let  me  give  you  my  impressions. 

What  is  called  "the  tendency  of  the  age"  shews  itself 
strikingly  on  this  subject.  The  great  Commentator  of 
last  century  may  have  been  accurate: — he  would  require 
liberalization  now.  He  told  us  that  whatever  international 
contracts  the  sovereign  engaged  in  "no  other  power  in 
the  kingdom  can  legally  dehiy,  resist,  or  annul."  That 
dictum,  in  its  broad  import,  has  ceased  to  be  true.  The 
impeachment  of  a  bad  minister  is  no  longer  the  only  re- 
cognized escape  or  remedy  of  an  injurious  treaty. 

The  Commercial  Convention  recently  entered  into  with 
France,  contains  an  express  declaration  that  it  shall  not  be 
valid  unless  "Her  Britannic  Majesty  shall  be  authorized 
by  the  assent  of  her  Parliament  to  execute  the  engage- 


TO  MR.  C.  J.  INGERSOLL.  209 

meiits  contracted  by  her  in  its  several  articles."  Such  a 
clause  is,  I  am  assured,  always  introduced  in  modern  trea- 
ties of  this  kind:  and  upon  the  present  occasion  its  exi- 
gency was  met  by  the  adoption  of  a  joint  address  to  the 
Queen  approving  comprehensively  the  diplomatic  pro- 
gramme. 

I  believe  it  safe  to  say,  now-a-days,  that  a  treaty  which 
calls  for  a  law  in  order  to  be  executed,  may  be  constitu- 
tionally nullified  by  the  refusal  of  either  House,  the  Com- 
mons or  the  Lords,  to  enact  that  law.  If  it  be  necessary 
to  assent.,  it  is  competent  to  dissent.  Treaties  requiring 
appropriations  of  money:  treaties  establishing  tariffs,  or 
mutual  terms  of  interchanging  products :  and  treaties  re- 
linquishing territorial  dominions,  perhaps-:  sink  into  the 
power  of  Parliament.  In  the  olden  time,  Blackstone 
would  have  been  shocked  if  the  Executive,  bent  upon 
fulfilling  an  international  engagement,  had  thought  it 
worth  while  to  say  more  than  "  Pass  the  bill : — stet  jjro  ra- 
iione  voluntas  V 

It  may  be  doubted  whether  the  check  upon  executive 
discretion  be  not,  in  this  sphere  of  public  agency,  better 
ascertained  here  than  with  us.  Chancellor  Kent,  I  think, 
expressed  astonishment  and  regret  that  a  resolution, 
founded  on  the  incidents  of  Jay's  Treaty,  was  passed  by 
the  House  of  Representatives  in  1796,  declaring  what  is 
now  understood  to  be  settled  English  law  and  practice, 
that  is,  if  a  treaty  depend  for  the  execution  of  any  of  its 
stipulations  upon  a  legislative  act,  the  House  could  and 
should  determine  on  the  expediency  of  carrying  it  into 
eflect  or  letting  it  abort.  "Whether  the  principle  of  that 
resolution  was  abandoned,  or  only  pretermitted  on  the 
emergency  of  1816,  may  be  questioned.  It  disappoints 
expectation,  but  in  reality  is  not  illogical,  that  the  treaty- 
making  power  when  in  the  hands  of  a  hereditary  monarch 
should  be  more  trammelled  and  restricted  than  when  in 
the  hands  of  an  elective  chief  magistrate  and  Senate.  I 
trust,  however,  that,  should  the  controversy  revive,  our 
representatives  may  feel  themselves,  maugre  Chancellor 
Kent,  free  to  be  at  least  as  democratic  as  the  British  Com- 
mons. It  is  noticeable  that  the  precedent  of  a  parlia- 
mentary stand  against  a  treaty  was  made  during  the 
ministry  of  Pitt,  almost  contemporaneously  with  Jay's : 
and  that  while  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  the  popular  re- 

TOL.  II. — 14 


210  TO  MR.  CASS. 

sistance  triumphed,  by  leading  to  the  withdrawal  and 
abandonment  of  the  measure,  on  our  side,  notwithstanding 
an  agitation  alike  universal  and  violent,  we  were  com- 
pelled to  swallow,  pure  and  undiluted,  the  strong  concoc- 
tion of  the  venerable  Chief  Justice. 

Very  sincerely  and  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  332 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  May  22,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Much  tribulation  was  caused  by  a  mo- 
tion in  the  House  of  Lords  to  throw  out,  or  reject,  Mr. 
Gladstone's  favorite  measure  for  the  repeal  of  the  tax  on 
paper.  It  was  made  by  Lord  Monteagle,  backed  hotly 
by  Lord  Derby,  and  after  a  violent  debate  of  nine  hours' 
duration,  it  was  carried  at  2  o'clock  a.  m.  (this  morning) 
by  the  overwhelming  majority  of  89  in  a  vote  of  297. 
The  friends  of  the  bill  stood  upon  the  privilege  of  the 
Commons,  to  preserve  untouched  their  control  of  the 
finances,  and  specially  insisted  that  to  reject  a  relief  of 
taxation  which  had  passed  the  House  was  equivalent  to  a 
fresh  imposition.  The  blow  is  a  harsh  one  on  the  Chan- 
cellor of  the  Exchequer :  and,  though  it  keeps  him  in  deep 
water  as  far  as  national  income  is  concerned,  it  deranges 
the  system  of  his  budget,  and  throws  discredit  upon  his 
prudence.  The  garland  of  victory  is  proverbially  fragile, 
and  I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  Mr.  Gladstone,  nettled  in 
the  midst  of  elation,  were  suddenly  to  drop  the  seals  of 
office. 

Garibaldi's  defeat  of  the  N"eapolitan  forces  arrived  late 
last  night  pretty  directly  from  ^TsTaples.  I  was  told  it  in 
the  House  of  Peers  by  Lord  Wensleydale.  The  battle 
was  fought  in  the  vicinit}^  of  Palermo:  and  probably  by 
this  time  young  Bomba  is  on  the  road  to  Vienna. 

Nobody  questions  the  wonderful  powers  of  Lord  Broug- 
ham. His  readiness  at  plagiarism  upon  himself  is  carried 
too  far,  and  gives  a  stale  look  to  some  of  his  latter  pro- 
ductions. At  his  inauguration  as  Chancellor  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Edinburgh,  on  Friday  the  18th  instant,  he  must 
have  consumed  a  full  half-hour  in  repeating  his  celebrated 


TO  MR.  CASS.  211 

and  superb  parallel  between  the  virtues  of  Washington 
and  the  vices  of  Napoleon  I. 

All  the  world  will  stream  to  Epsom  to-morrow.  The 
Prime  Minister  has  formally  given  warning  in  the  House 
of  Commons  that  he  regards  the  Derby  Day  as  too  sacred 
for  legislative  business : — he  will  move  an  adjournment 
over.  By-the-by,  his  lordship  is  not  a  little  addicted  to 
fancies  of  the  kind.  The  other  day,  he  was  obliged  to 
expend  heaps  of  solemn  condemnation  upon  the  approach- 
ing prize  fight  of  Sayers  and  Heenan  : — but  he  concluded 
by  saying,  with  a  bright  twinkle  in  his  eye,  "Well!  if  it 
must  come  off' — I  hope  Tom  will  beat." 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  333.-TO  ME.  OASS. 

LoNDON^,  June  1,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — In  the  adjustment  of  the  British  Con- 
stitution, which  you  know  is  asserted  to  be  the  more  per- 
fect because  imperfect,  accommodating  itself  to  the  exi- 
gencies of  progress,  I  think  the  popular  principle  about  to 
make  a  fresh  advance  upon  the  oligarchical.  The  right 
of  the  Lords  to  intermeddle  in  any  manner  with  money 
bills  sent  up  by  the  Commons,  as  well  repealing  as  im- 
posing taxation,  is  for  the  first  time  broadly  and  vigor- 
ously denied.  The  precedents  upon  which  Lords  Mont- 
eagle,  Lyndhurst,  and  Derby  acted  in  throwing  out  the 
measure  abolishing  the  paper  duty,  are  discovered  to  lack 
in  a  slight  degree  exact  applicability :  and  the  Commons 
seize  the  occasion  to  push  their  privilege  farther  than 
it  has  hitherto  gone,  by  absolutely  excluding  the  Peers 
from  the  entire  domain  of  the  finances.  New  forms  of 
bills  may  be  devised  for  that  purpose.  Resolutions  of  a 
decided  character  will  be  introduced  in  the  lower  House. 
And  though  the  actual  offfeuce  of  retaining  the  paper  duty 
may  glide  into  oblivion,  it  will  become  so  only  after  its 
recurrence  is  rendered  impossible.  Such  promises  to  be 
the  issue  of  the  present  constitutional  conflict  between 
the  legislative  branches  of  Parliament. 

My  diplomatic  colleagues  very  generally  agree  in  con- 


212  TO  MR.  CASS. 

sidering  the  state  of  affairs  on  the  Continent  as  unpromis- 
ing and  precarious.     The  "sick  man"  is  once  more  an 

object  of  solicitude:  and  the  unhappy  Christians  in  Tur- 
key are  breaking  the  heart-strings  of  tender  Prince  Gort- 
schakoft".  Then,  Prussia  is  carefully  restoring  the  war- 
footing  to  her  army,  while  Parisian  pens  are  dropping 
persuasive  pamphlets  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine.  Then, 
Spain,  for  some  covert  reason,  instead  of  doffing,  is  actu- 
ally riveting  on,  the  helmets  she  donned  in  Morocco: — 
giving  permanency  to  an  army  of  200,000,  quartered  in  the 
Balearic  Islands  and  on  her  northeastern  coast.  Then 
again,  the  intrigues  and  tentatives  of  the  exiled  Bukes  of 
Tuscany  and  Modena  get  encouragement  somewhere: — 
the  despairing  contortions  of  Helvetia  in  the  tightening 
folds  of  the  Gallic  constrictor  are  extremely  painful: 
Hungary  is  threatening  Kaiser  Francis  with  the  treatment 
given  to  King  John  at  Runnymede:  the  perturbations  in 
Belgium  are  equally  conspicuous  in  Leopold  I.  and  Leo- 
pold's minister  Van  de  Weyer:  and  finally,  see  the  vol- 
canic blaze  of  Garibaldi,  whose  head-quarters  were  estab- 
lished, with  Sardinian  flag  in  hand,  by  the  brave  chieftain 
himself  in  the  centre  of  Palermo ! 

•  At  last  we  hear  from  China.  The  Brother  of  the  Sun 
and  Moon  has  contumeliously  flouted  the  terms  arrogantly 
exacted  by  Mr.  Bruce.  ISTothing  seems  left  to  the  Allies 
but  an  advance  on  Pekin,  and  a  race  after  the  Emperor 
wheresoever  he  may  fly.  Whether  a  retreat  like  that  of 
Thucydides  and  his  ten  thousand  from  Persia,  may  not 
be  compelled  by  mere  force  of  overpowering  numbers,  we 
must  wait  to  see.  Some  straggling  engineers  and  drill 
sergeants  of  Russia  may  possibly  be  backing  the  Celes- 
tials. The  enclosed  contains  what  Lord  John  Russell 
lately  characterized  as  the  "moderate"  demands  of  this 
government! 

Le  Box,  as  the  Parisians  call  the  P.  R.,  is  renewing  its 
hold  upon  the  public  taste.  There  are  no  heroes  like 
those  of  the  fist.  Heenan  and  Sayers  recall  Hector  and 
Achilles;  and  one  of  the  panegyrists  ranks  them  on  the 
rolls  of  fame  with  Napoleon  I.  and  Wellington!  Each 
has  stood,  and  still  stands,  in  a  pelting  shower  of  gold: — 
each  buckles  on  a  belt  sparkling  with  gems  and  ponder- 
ous with  silver: — both  are  trumpeted  from  one  end  of  the 
kingdom  to  the  other:  and  even  at  the  Derby,  the  high- 


TO  MR.  CASS.  213 

mettled  racers  were  forgotten  in  the  universal  eagerness 
to  run  after  the  Benicia  Boy!  The  victory  over  law, 
civilization,  order,  and  morality,  is  complete. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  334.-T0  MK.  OASS. 

London,  June  15,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Things  are  tranquillizing.  Lord  John 
Russell's  Reform  bill  seemed  to  command  too  small  a 
majority  and  has  been  withdrawn.  The  vacuum  thus 
produced  will  enable  Parliament  to  advance  rapidly  to  a 
close.  Agitation  on  the  question  of  the  exclusive  financial 
privilege  of  the  House,  although  kept  alive,  will  mainly 
be  reserved  for  the  recess. 

Indications  make  it  quite  clear  that  the  second  daughter 
of  Queen  Victoria,  the  Princess  Alice,  is  about  being 
merged  into  Dutch  Royalty.  John  Bull  has  often  coun^ted 
the  beads  of  his  rosary,  good-naturedly  giving  to  each  of 
them  a  blessing  and  a  purse,  and  then  growling  at  the 
budget. 

A  great  conjunction  takes  place  to-morrow  or  the  next 
day  at  Baden-Baden.  N^apoleon  III.  has  an  interview 
with  the  Prince  Regent  of  Prussia,  and  several  sover- 
eigns, Saxon,  Bavarian,  Hesse-Darmstadt,  etc.,  propose 
to  "assist"  thereat.  Europe  has  had  recent  experience 
of  the  consequences  likely  to  flow  from  such  consultative 
reunions.  The  Emperor,  as  his  own  Premier,  is  apt  to 
state  his  "  idea,"  to  tix  it  impressively  on  those  who  listen, 
and  to  leave  its  complete  execution  as  a  thing,  willy-nilly, 
to  be  done.  No  doubt,  his  fiat  on  the  present  occasion 
will  point  to  the  Rhine  as  the  natural  boundary  of 
France :  and  one  cannot  perceive  in  any  quarter  the 
faintest  readiness  to  resist.  He  will  get  it,  nunc  vellunc  : 
possibly  by  diplomacy,  for  there  is  a  deep  dread  of  pro- 
voking him  among  the  royalties,  but,  if  not  so,  by  an 
overpowering  rush  from  Chalons. 

The  annals  of  Europe,  though  crowded  with  the  names 
of  great  soldiers  and  seamen,  do  not  furnish  a  parallel  for 
Garibaldi : — so  they  call  him  the  Washington  of  Italy.  "W  e 


214  TO  MR.  CASS, 

Americans  may  think  the  designation  a  little  too  flatter- 
ing : — but  in  truth  he  has  noble  qualities,  among  which 
are  most  conspicuous  the  very  firmness,  sobriety,  modera- 
tion, and  devotion  to  duty,  which  characterized  our 
national  favorite.  He  has  plucked  Sicily  from  the  Nea- 
politan crown  by  a  series  of  rapid  as  well  as  prudent 
movements,  and  we  may  soon  look  for  such  insurrection- 
ary collisions  among  the  Lazzaroni  as  will  induce  him  to 
cross  the  Strait  of  Messina  and  end  the  dynasty.  All 
Europe  is  crying  shame  at  Bomba  junior  for  his  barbari- 
ties— cannonading  and  shelling,  firing  and  destroying  his 
own  city  of  Palermo  and  its  population  ;  and  the  dogma 
of  divine  right  does  not  save  him  from  universal  con- 
demnation. 

Another  trial  trip  by  the  Great  Eastern  preliminary  to 
starting  for  New  York  on  the  20th  instant.  They  have 
been  tinkering  at  her  extensively  for  the  last  six  months, 
and  perhaps  she  is  now  a  safe  steamship: — but  she  don't 
promise  to  perform  the  voyage  in  less  than  ten  or  twelve 
days,  she  is  still  liable  to  many  interruptions  and  acci- 
dents, and,  on  the  whole,  the  report  of  the  late  excursion 
of  twenty-four  hours  leaves  me  inclined  to  prefer  a  con- 
veyance by  the  Adriatic,  the  Arago,  or  the  Persia. 

Our  countrymen  are  crowding  into  London  bj''  hun- 
dreds. They  are  astonished  at  finding  the  cold  wet 
weather  which  we  have  had  all  the  spring. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  335.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  June  19,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  cluster  of  kings  and  kinglets  which 
met  for  two  days  at  Baden,  smiled  unimaginable  things 
at  each  other,  and  then  dispersed  as  if  enchanted  with 
the  wonders  they  had  achieved,  has  opened  a  fresh  and 
interesting  field  for  speculation  and  prophecy.  Simul- 
taneous with  the  departure  of  Louis  Napoleon  from  Paris 
was  the  appearance  of  a  new  pamphlet,  '■'■Frcmce  and  Prus- 
sia,'' by  About.  This  performs  the  office  assigned  to  the 
brochure  ^'■Napoleon  III.  et  ritalie,"  in  February,  1859, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  215 

which  heralded  the  conquest  of  Lombardy,  and  the  annex- 
ation of  Savoy  and  Nice.  The  first  moves  in  the  game  are 
alike: — Guerroniere  and  About  the  summoning  trumpets. 
"Reform  the  vices  of  your  constitution:  give  up  Divine 
Right:  make  your  legislature  what  ours  is,  the  offspring 
of  universal  suffrage:  don't  gasp  at  uttering  democracy: 
expel  your  treacherous  bureaucracy :  and  then,  as  soon  as 
you  concede  to  France  her  'natural  frontier,'  she  will  ex- 
pand you,  as  she  has  expanded  Piedmont,  into  a  United 
Germany."  Such  is  the  programme  blandly  unfolded  to 
the  Regent  of  Prussia,  under  Imperial  inspiration!  At 
Baden, Napoleon  shook  hands,  drank  tea,  paid  first  visits, 
was  the  model  of  cordial  good-fSllowship,  and  when  he 
left  at  night  for  the  Tuileries,  only  dropped,  as  interpret- 
ing the  drama,  this  little  pamphlet  of  About.  I  send 
you  as  much  of  it  as  was  in  the  Herald  of  yesterday 
morning. 

The  alarm  here  is  somewhat  on  the  increase.  A  com- 
mission has  recently  made  report  on  the  Public  Defences, 
and  its  recommendations  call  for  an  expenditure  of  eleven 
or  twelve  millions  of  pounds  sterling.  French  naval  force 
is  steadily  augmenting.  Lord  Overstone  appears  in  print, 
anxious  about  invasion.  Colonel  Jebb  looks  it  coolly  in 
the  face,  adverts  to  the  three  successive  stages  at  one  of 
which  it  may  possibly  be  repelled,  and  finally,  supposing 
London  to  be  captured,  looks  to  the  probabilitj^  of  buying 
oft*  the  enemy ! 

The  cold  and  wet  continue  without  change.  The  Great 
Eastern  anticipated  her  time,  and  left  Southampton  for 
New  York  on  Sunday  last  the  17th  instant.  May  she 
arrive  safely ! 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  336 -TO  ME.  OASS. 

London,  June  29,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Strong  and  sincere  gratification  seems 
to  have  been  given  by  the  President's  note  to  the  Queen 
inviting  the  Prince  of  Wales  to  Washington.  It  is  talked 
of  in  all  circles;  and  the  young  gentleman  himself  is 


216  TO  MR.  CASS. 

exuberant  with  delight.  The  Duke  of  ITewcastle  antici- 
pates great  enjoyment  on  the  tour,  and  dwells  much  on  its 
prospect.  He  expressed  to  me  a  solicitude  to  avoid,  after 
quitting  Canada,  any  proceeding,  such  as  stopping  for  a 
short  time  at  Cincinnati,  which  would  be  regarded  as  the 
slightest  breach  of  the  principle  of  etiquette  that  the  first 
visit  should  be  to  the  White  House.  Without  being  too 
strict  in  exaction,  I  have  encouraged  the  expediency  of 
travelling  direct  to  the  capital,  and  afterwards  branching 
in  any  direction  they  please.  This,  I  think  it  probable, 
will  be  the  course.  They  calculate  on  reaching  you  about 
the  close  of  September,  and  on  re-embarking  for  home  at 
!N'ew  York  about  the  middle  of  October: — allowing  very 
little  time  to  the  United  States.  As  we  shall  be  involved 
in  the  universal  and  absorbing  distractions  of  a  Presiden- 
tial election,  perhaps  it  is  well  that  it  should  be  so.  The 
programme  for  the  voyage  was  officially  published  two 
days  ago,  making  the  start  from  Devonport  on  the  10th 
of  July. 

The  legislative  scene,  like  the  fashionable  season,  is 
drawing  to  a  close.  Unless  something  unlocked  for 
should  break  out.  Parliament  can  hardly  protract  its  ses- 
sion for  another  month. 

England  is  laboring  to  convince  herself  that  she  is  a 
military  nation.  Within  the  last  week  she  has  held  two 
Reviews,  one  in  Hyde  Park  of  the  Volunteer  Rifles,  and 
another  at  Aldershot  of  Regulars,  counting  an  aggregate 
of  about  45,000  men.  Soon,  she  proposes  to  inaugurate 
a  system  of  local  games,  making  the  skill  in  point-blank 
shooting  the  object  of  popular  attainment: — like  archery 
in  olden  times,  only  substituting  the  rifle  for  the  cross- 
bow. She  went  into  ecstacies,  as  you  may  have  noticed, 
at  the  tramp  of  her  20,000  volunteers,  and  almost  trum- 
peted defiance  to  the  400,000  of  France.  Paris  was  highly 
amused.  But,  after  all,  there  is  something  in  this  first 
taste  of  the  voluntary  principle  which  is  really  seductive, 
and  may  lead  to  important  results.  It  is  a  bold  and  preg- 
nant idea,  that  of  putting  rifles  into  English  hands  indis- 
criminately : — it  may  possibly  end  very  diti'erently  from 
what  is  expected. 

Our  small  screw  steamer,  of  6  guns,  the  Iroquois,  Com- 
mander Palmer,  is,  under  the  requisition  of  Mr.  Chandler, 
looking  doggedly  at  the  subordinates  of  young  Bomba, 


TO   MR.  CASS.  217 

and  we  may  possibly  witness  something  after  the  fashion 
of  the  Ingraham  and  Koszta  incident.  The  King  is  getting 
so  rapidly  pushed  off  his  throne,  that  he  bows  conces- 
sions in  despair  all  round.  A  mere  attitude  will  be  quite 
enough  for  him. 

Very  sad  rumors  are  afloat  about  the  effects  already 
produced,  and  the  worse  ones  feared,  from  the  continued 
cold  and  rain.  The  crops  are  in  danger  here,  and  indeed 
all  through  Europe.  Prices  of  food  are  rising  fearfully. 
The  horrid  weather  is  attributed  by  some  to  the  great 
number  and  huge  size  of  icebergs  in  the  Atlantic. 

Lord  Elgin  and  Baron  Gros  seem  to  have  lost  every- 
thing but  their  lives  by  the  wreck  in  the  harbor  of  Galle. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  337.-TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  July  13,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — Mr.  Longstreet,  one  of  the  delegates 
appointed  by  the  President  to  the  International  Statistical 
Congress,  has  reached  here  in  due  time,  but  regrets  to 
find  that  Mr.  Lawrence,  his  colleague,  left  England  in  the 
Adriatic  on  the  20th  ultimo.  It  is  not  impossible  that  this 
latter  gentleman  may  be  on  his  way  hither.  I  have  had 
sent  to  me  by  Mr.  Faulkner  from  Paris,  endorsed  as  from 
the  Treasury  Department,  what  I  take  to  be  his  commis- 
sion and  therefore  temporarily  retain  for  him.  Mr.  Long- 
street  will,  however,  find  other  American  associates  in  the 
Congress.  Dr.  Jarvis  has  been  sent  by  the  Massachusetts 
Association.  This  government,  through  Mr.  Milner  Gib- 
son, invited  my  attendance  at  the  initiation  of  the  move- 
ment, but  I  declined  for  obvious  reasons. 

The  Prince  of  Wales  embarked  in  the  "  Hero "  three 
days  ago  for  Canada.  His  departure  was  signalized  by 
naval  demonstration  and  ceremony  executed  by  the  Chan- 
nel fleet.  He  will  go  farther  South  than  Washington 
only  to  visit  Richmond. 

The  "sick  man,"  as  you  have  doubtless  seen,  is  getting 
worse  and  worse.  The  Christians  are  being  massacred  by 
thousands  in  Syria,  the  Turkish  forces  too  weak  or  un- 


218  TO  MR.  CASS. 

willing  to  protect  them.  On  both  sides  of  the  Channel,  it 
is  beginning  to  be  seen  that  the  Czar  Nicholas  had  reason 
for  his  plans,  and  that  Europe  may  soon  be  obliged  to  ex- 
ecute them.  The  two  Emperors,  ISTapoleon  and  Alexan- 
der, have  a  steady  and  longing  eye  upon  the  "  l^ew  Map" 
I  sent  you  two  years  ago,  and  are  only  impeded  in  their 
project  of  a  coalesced  triumvirate  of  military  nations  by 
the  obstinate  integrity  of  the  Prussian  Regent.  How 
long  that  obstacle  will  last  against  the  double  pressure, 
right  and  left,  depends  much  on  the  energies  of  Downing 
Street. 

I  listened  attentively  a  few  nights  ago  to  a  singular  but 
striking  speech  by  the  Premier  in  the  Commons.  It  was 
on  the  pending  question  of  privilege,  and  elaborately  ex- 
cused, if  it  avoided  defending,  the  rejection  by  the  Lords 
of  the  bill  remitting  the  paper  duties.  To  me  it  savored 
strongl}'  of  a  disposition  to  drop,  or  drive  out,  certain  dis- 
tasteful members  of  his  cabinet — Lord  John  Russell,  Mr. 
Gladstone,  and  Mr.  Milner  Gribson — for  these  gentlemen 
have  resolutely  and  openly  flung  the  gauntlet  at  the  Peers, 
and  are  stirring  up  popular  agitation  in  a  manner  rather 
disquieting.  Yesterday  there  was  convened  at  Liverpool 
what  we  should  consider  even  in  New  York  a  roaring 
tumultuous  meeting  on  this  subject: — and  here,  three 
days  ago,  at  the  discussion  of  the  topic  by  a  numerous 
assemblage,  a  proposal  to  convene  in  Hyde  Park  was  in- 
discreetly opposed  by  a  threat  of  the  newly  raised 
Rifles ! 

The  celebration  on  the  4th  was  enlivened  by  a  capital 
speech  from  Layard  (Mneveh  Layard)  and  a  very  flat  one 
by  Dr.  Mackay.  Our  own  addresses  and  toasts  were 
dishwater. 

A  fierce  assault  upon  Sir  Samuel  Cunard  and  his  line 
of  steam  ships  is  now  in  progress.  The  gravamen,  an  un- 
English  concession  to  anti-negro  tastes,  by  rules  of  gov- 
ernijient  on  board,  which  accommodated  a  sable  Mrs. 
Putnam  and  her  numerous  family  separately  from  other 
passengers.  They  demanded,  and  now  the  exclusively 
civilized  press  of  England  demands  for  them,  that  they 
shall  eat,  drink,  sleep,  and  promenade,  undiscriminated 
by  color.  What  will  Sir  Samuel  do?  He  has  tried  to 
avoid  the  onslaught,  by  justly  regarding  the  matter  as 
one  to  be  determined  by  his  own  interest  in  controlling 


TO  MR.  CASS.  219 

his  own  business: — but  they  threaten  him  with  the  with- 
drawal of  all  government  aid  and  countenance,  and  the 
bolt  of  popular  excommunication. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  338 -TO  ME.  CASS. 

London,  August  3,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — The  interest  of  Europe  is  just  now  con- 
centrated on  three  novelties : — the  filibustero  Garibaldi, 
the  Imperial  letter-writer,  and  the  religious  massacres  in 
Syria.     Everything  else  is  for  the  hour  overshadowed. 

The  general  is  supposed  to  be  slightly  mutinous : — dis- 
regarding the  advice  of  Victor  Emmanuel,  and  fatally 
bent  on  seeing  ITaples.  A  telegram  is  daily  looked  for, 
announcing  his  landing  on  this  side  of  the  Strait:  and  it 
is  said  that  there  lies  in  the  beautiful  bay  a  fine  steam- 
ship ready  to  receive  the  King  and  his  household,  as  soon 
as  the  "  Hero"  touches  the  Continent.  No  reliance  on 
the  Royal  forces :  no  trust  in  Lazzaroni :  no  safety  but  in 
quick  fiight:  "the  thief  doth  fear  each  bush  an  officer." 

!N"apoleon'8  epistle  to  his  '^  cher  Per  sign}/"  is  regarded 
as  addressed  to  the  British  nation.  Agreeably  to  the 
direction  in  it,  the  ambassador  laid  it  before  Lord  John 
Russell,  who  told  the  House  of  Commons,  and  a  bad 
translation  appeared  in  the  newspapers  on  the  following 
morning.  I  send  you  a  copy  in  the  original  French.  No 
more  remarkable  State  paper  can  well  be  imagined.  He 
runs  over  the  keys  of  Imperial  policy  with  the  rapid 
familiarity  of  a  master  hand,  and  seems  to  smile  through 
his  writing  at  the  facility  with  which  he  gets  over  the 
hard  passages  of  the  last  year's  history.  "What  does  it 
mean  ?  No  one  can  say  precisely.  Perhaps  more  con- 
sideration must  be  given  to  it.  But  if,  as  some  think, 
it  was  an  inspiration  of  Mr.  Cobden's  (who  continues  in 
Paris)  to  help  Mr.  Bright's  opposition  to  the  immense 
expenditure  on  fortifications,  it  has  failed,  for  that  meas- 
ure was  carried  in  the  House  of  Commons  last  night  by 
a  majority  of  227. 

The  hair-trigger  tendency  to   religious  war  is  by  no 


220  TO  MR.  CASS. 

means  restricted  to  Syria.  There,  it  has  exploded  into 
massacre  fierce  and  undiscriminating : — but  alarm  pre- 
vails throughout  the  Turkish  Empire,  and  the  two  great 
sects  are  everywhere  watching  each  other  with  dangerous 
bitterness.  Constantinople  itself  is  in  something  like  a 
state  of  siege.  The  Sultan  has  formally  invited  "the 
Great  Powers,"  who  signed  the  Treaty  of  Peace  in  1856, 
to  help  his  weakness.  Bonaparte  (exemplary  Christian !) 
springs  forward  with  alacrity,  and  was  hastening  his  sol- 
diers to  Beyrout  and  Damascus,  when  Lord  John  Russell 
interposed  the  necessity  of  a  previous  programme  of 
conditions  and  understandings.  If  the  Zouaves  are  once 
bivouacked  in  the  Lebanon,  when  will  they  leave  it  ? 

The  Queen  proceeds  from  London  to  Edinburgh  during 
the  night  of  the  6th  and  7th  instant,  reviews  .the  Scotch 
Riflemen  on  the  afternoon  of  the  7th,  and  speeds  to  Bal- 
moral, Her  Majesty  will  probably  visit  her  new  grand- 
daughter in  Berlin  early  in  September.  Parliament  gives 
no  promise  of  immediate  prorogation,  yet  London  is  being 
rapidly  deserted. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


No.  339 -TO  MR.  OASS. 

London,  September  14,  1860. 

My  dear  Sir, — All  eyes  are  fixed  upon  the  movement 
of  General  Fanti,  at  the  head  of  fifty  thousand  of  Victor 
Emmanuel's  forces,  into  the  States  of  the  Church.  Guyon 
is  ordered  back  to  his  post  at  Rome,  taking  with  him  ten 
thousand  French,  as  a  sort  of  body-guard  for  the  Holy 
Father.  Very  little  reliance  is  felt  in  Lamoriciere,  whose 
scum  of  foreign  mercenaries  only  exasperate  Italian  feel- 
*  ing.  The  critical  moment  has  arrived;  and  the  Pied- 
montese  cabinet  seem  suddenly  to  have  taken  against  the 
Pope  a  new  attitude  of  menace  and  violence.  In  his 
extremity,  the  hand  of  Bonaparte  will  be  stretched  out 
for  his  relief. 

Garibaldi  entered  Naples  on  the  7th  instant,  and 
straightway,  as  if  touched  by  a  magic  blight,  the  throne  of 
Francis  II.  crumbled  into  dust.     It  is  said  that  the  King, 


TO  MR.  CASS.  221 

while  penning  his  farewell  to  his  subjects,  actually  issued 
an  order  for  the  bombardment  and  sack  of  the  city ! 
What  army  he  may  be  able  to  retain  will  pass  to  the  ranks 
of  Lamoriciere.  His  own  destination  is  yet  doubtful : — 
perhaps  Spain,  may-be  the  interior  of  Germany,  possibly 
Vienna. 

On  the  3d  of  next  month,  and  at  Warsaw,  there  will  be 
an  ominous  conjunction  of  sovereignties,  Russian,  Aus- 
trian, Prussian,  etc.,  and  why?  only  to  declare  a  negative, 
that  they  do  not  propose  to  coalesce  against  France. 
"Methinks  they  do  protest  too  much." 

The  Queen  returns  from  Balmoral  to  Osborne  on  Tues- 
day next,  and  forthwith  prepares  for  a  visit  to  the  Conti- 
nent.    Lord  John  Russell  will  accompany  her. 

Nothing  of  much  moment  as  yet  from  China : — the  latest 
accounts  intimate  the  probability  of  a  battle  about  the 
middle  of  July,  which,  if  it  have  taken  place,  should  reach 
us  now.  In  New  Zealand  the  success  of  the  natives 
against  the  British  authorities  has  created  an  anxious 
feeling. 

Quite  a  stir  has  been  made  about  the  character  in  which 
Mr.  Wm.  S.  Lindsay,  M.  P.,  is  visiting  the  United  States. 
Lord  John  has  certainly  given  it  a  slight  infusion  of  the 
diplomatic  decoction.  So  much  so  that  I  presume  that 
gentleman  will  hasten  his  arrival  at  Washington,  and  may 
seek  interviews  with  the  President  and  yourself  on  various 
topics  which  one  would  think  exclusively  manageable  by 
Lord  Lyons.  Mr.  Lindsay  called  on  me  before  quitting : 
and  I  inferred  from  his  conversation  that  he  hoped  to  do 
something  d  la  Cobden  in  Paris. 

London  is  lifeless : — all  the  world  abroad :  rain  unabating : 
and  cold  annoying.  It  seems  conceded  that  the  harvests 
have  been  impaired  to  the  extent  of  at  least  one-third. 
The  great  astronomer  Herschel  tells  us  in  a  "published 
letter  that  he  did  not  predict  this  season,  but  that  many 
observations  led  him  io  foresee  it. 

Always  faithfully  yrs.    • 


222  TO  MR.  MARKOE. 


No.  340.-T0  ME.  MAEKOE. 


London,  November  23,  1860. 

My  dear  M., — It  is  much  to  be  feared  that  all  the  pa- 
triotism and  valor  of  Garibaldi  have  been  wasted.  He  is 
essentially  a  republican ;  and  so  his  rash  levied  troops  who 
nevertheless  conquered  Sicily  and  Naples  have  been  dis- 
banded and  dispersed,  and  himself  bowed  into  the  rocky 
islet  of  Caprera ! 

Of  all  interesting  monuments  of  antiquity  and  power, 
commend  me  to  Windsor  Castle.  Mrs.  D.  and  I  have 
just  returned  from  a  three  days'  visit  there.  We  were 
lodged  in  the  Tower  of  King  Edward  III.:  and  I  mounted 
to  the  top  of  the  "  Round  Tower,"  about  three  hundred 
feet  above  a  base  constructed  by  the  soldiers  of  Julius 
Csesar ! !  Then  see  the  interminable  and  inexhaustible 
Corridor: — the  Rubens  Chamber:  the  Tapestry:  the 
Royal  Plate:  the  Hall  of  St.  George:  the  Armor}^:  the 
State  apartments.  It  is  far  the  most  imposing  and  suita- 
ble Palace  to  be  found  in  England  or  perhaps  in  Europe. 
Innumerable  objects  of  art,  paintings,  sculptures,  and 
highly  ornamented  cabinet  works  and  vases  are  spread 
through  the  Corridor  having  reference  to  the  incidents  of 
the  present  reign.  The  first  time  the  Queen,  only  seven- 
teen years  of  age,  presided  at  the  Privy  Council,  forms  an 
interesting  picture.  Lord  Melbourne,  her  guardian  and 
Prime  Minister,  in  the  attitude  of  addressing  her  from  the 
farther  side  of  the  table,  and  looking  as  if  struck  by  the 
dignity  and  ease  of  her  carriage.  Then  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, in  the  presence  of  her  Majesty  and  Prince  Albert, 
assuming  the  office  of  godfather  to  one  of  her  infants  and 
presenting  a  richly  jewelled  casket,  forms  another.  The 
glowing  and  gorgeous  representation  of  the  Coronation 
makes  a  third.  Portraits  and  busts  of  Popes  and  Cardi- 
nals are  excellent  and  numerous. 

You  may  get  this  on  the  day  of  an  opening  row  in  Con- 
gress, and  I  hasten  to  close  it,  to  avoid  keeping  you  away. 
I  have  an  infinite  deal  of  nothing  to  say,  but  not  a  minute 
to  say  it  in. 

Always  affectionately  yrs. 


TO   MR.  MARKOE.  223 


No.  341.-T0  ME.  D. 

London,  November  16,  1860. 

My  dear  F., — Your  recent  visitor  the  Prince  of  Wales, 
though  he  left  Portland  on  the  20th  October,  only  got  to 
Plymouth  yesterday.  He  had  a  disagreeable  voyage  and 
caused  considerable  anxiety  and  alarm.  Several  vessels 
had  hurried  out  to  scour  the  seas  for  him. 

Empresses,  you  perceive,  are  becoming  flighty.  My  old 
Dowager  of  Russia  has  taken  final  leave.  The  young 
Austrian,  little  cared  for  by  her  husband,  has  borrowed  a 
steamer  from  Queen  Victoria  to  carry  her  to  the  health- 
restoring  climate  of  Madeira.  And  the  lovely  parvenu 
Eugenie,  crossing  the  Channel  in  a  common  packet,  and 
content  with  ordinary  cabs,  has  actually  reached  Claridge's 
Hotel  in  Brook  Street,  incog. ^  and  on  her  way  to  a  ball  at 
the  Duchess  of  Hamilton's  in  Scotland !  Is  it  possible 
there  can  be  a  transient  miti"  with  Louis  l!^apoleon  ?  These 
Imperial  freaks  set  the  world  full  of  conjecture  and  gossip. 
•  Garibaldi  has  gone  to  his  rock  between  Sardinia  and 
Corsica,  Caprera:  they  say,  to  milk  his  cows,  but  one  may 
suspect  to  cry  over  spilt  cream.  Though  he  still  harps 
on  a  movement  in  the  spring  with  a  million  of  men,  he 
probably  feels  that  his  great  republican  idea  finds  an  in- 
surmountable obstacle  in  the  crown  of  Victor  Emmanuel. 

Always  affectionately  yrs. 


No.  342.-T0  ME.  MAEKOE. 

London,  March  1,  1861. 

My  dear  Markoe, — Our  latest  news  from  the  West 
plays  like  a  thread  of  lightning  on  the  horizon  and 
rekindles  hope.  It  is  to  the  effect  that  the  Convention 
assembled  under  the  counsels  of  Virginia  has  under  con- 
sideration a  scheme  of  adjustment,  including  the  best 
parts  of  those  of  Crittenden,  Guthrie,  and  the  Border 
States.  Amen!  Anything  to  save  a  great  constitutional 
country  from  the  self-immolating  stroke  of  panic. 


2e4  TO  MR.  MARKOE. 

Storms  have  been  unceasing  during  the  last  month,  and 
the  wrecks  reported  are  numberless. 

The  Bishop  of  Poictiers,  in  an  address  to  hi«  clergy,  has 
made  a  deadly  lunge  at  the  Emperor.  Like  the  rest  of 
the  world,  he  regards  the  signature  of  "Laguerroniere"  to 
the  recent  pamphlet  of  '■'■Itome,  France,  and  Italy'"  as  sim- 
ply that  of  Louis  Napoleon.  He  has  the  boldness  to  run 
openly  a  parallel  which,  in  a  Roman  Catholic  sense,  stamps 
indelibly  the  Tuileries  pamphleteer,  in  his  treatment  of 
the  Pope,  as  the  modern  ^'-Pontius  Pilate,  ivashing-his  hands 
as  he  surrenders  the  Saviour  to  exendion .'"  The  image  is  for- 
cible, is  colored  into  strong  relief,  and  is  destined  to  pro- 
duce a  powerful  impression  on  Galilean  consciences. 

We  have  been  treated  at  the  Royal  Geographical  So- 
ciety with  a  charming  lecture  on  the  scenery  and  course 
of  the  White  Mle,  the  Mountains  of  the  Moon,  and  the 
Gorillas  in  Africa,  by  our  young  American  traveller  Du 
Chaillu.  He  brought  me  an  introductory,  and  has  made 
a  capital  hit.  The  audience  at  Burlington  House  was 
immense,  partly  ladies.  He  was  complimented  at  the 
close  by  fervent  speeches  from  Professor  Owen,  Mr.  Glad- 
stone, and  Captain  Galton: — naturally,  his  gratification  is 
unbounded.  He  began  falteringly,  seemingly  intimidated 
by  being  in  the  presence  of  so  great  a  crowd  of  strangers, 
and  "as  he  knew' only  his  minister  Mr.  Dallas,  he  was 
sure  to  receive  his  protection  "! 

The  lease  of  the  house  I  have  occupied  uninterruptedly 
for  five  years  comes  to  an  annual  close  on  the  24th  in- 
stant. By  that  tijne  I  may  look  to  have  a  successor.  I 
propose,  therefore,  quietly  to  forego  farther  housekeeping 
in  London  on  that  day,  and  to  hold  myself  in  readiness 
for  homeward  flight  at  any  moment.  Whoever  may  be 
sent  to  this  post  will  be  cordially  welcomed  by  me,  and 
facilitated  in  his  first  movements  as  far  as  may  be  in  my 
power.  I  would  advise  him,  as  a  measure  for  his  own 
comfort,  to  rent  the  establishment  I  quit,  provided  it  be 
repaired  and  refurnished,  and  to  enlist  the  eight  servants 
who  have  been  with  me  from  the  beginning. 

Always  faithfully  yrs. 


TO  MR.  SEWARD.  225 


No.  343.-TO  ME.  SEWAKD. 

LoNDOX,  March  26,  1861. 

My  dear  Mr.  Seward, — You  must  allow  me  to  make 
my  sincere  ackuowledgments  for  the  personally  kind 
messages  received  from  you  through  Mr.  Mason. 

I  shall  take  pleasure  in  giving  to  your  representative, 
my  successor,  whoever  he  maj^  be,  a  cordial  welcome,  and 
to  place  at  his  service  any  little  aids  or  facilities  with 
which  my  stay  here  may  have  made  me  familiar.  I  do 
not  yet  know  who  is  likely  to  be  your  choice:  and  possi- 
bly he  may  not  be  within  that  range  of  acquaintances  to 
whom  I  should  feel  at  liberty  to  write.  But  I  shall  be 
happy  to  know  that  he  has  been  apprised  of  my  readiness 
to  receive  him.  My  own  trial  in  '56  prepares  me  to  be- 
lieve that  he  cannot  get  himself  and  family  ready  to  emi- 
grate to  London,  without  great  inconvenience,  short  of  two 
months  hence,  say  by  the  1st  of  June.*  I  hope  for  him 
about  that  time,  and  shall  be  happy  to  make  arrange- 
ments with  Lord  John  Russell  for  his  comfortable  land- 
ing at  Liverpool  or  elsewhere. 

Reiterating  my  thanks,  I  am  truly  your  obliged 

and  obedient  servant. 


*  Mr.  C.  F.  Adams  reached  London  on  the  11th  May,  1861. 


THE    END. 


VOL.  II. — 15 


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